He says he does not regret his takeover bid.
There is no reason to doubt it.
However, since he took power in February 2020 to own 99% of the capital (he entered it, via his holding company La Financière de la Seigneurie, in June 2018, up to 25%), Bernard Lemaitre is in the zone of turbulence.
Bisbilles with Mourad Boudjellal, the former boss with whom the cohabitation was deleterious and pandemic which burdened a little more accounts which he claims to have found much more loss-making than his predecessor had indicated to him.
“
I had to inject 18 million euros to make up for the losses
,” swore the president of the RCT, who claims to have spent more than 40 million euros since his arrival!
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Schedule and Top 14 results
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Bernard Lemaitre, president of RC Toulon: "You can't make money in rugby"
Financial disaster therefore, but also sporting rout and dispute, by the supporters but also by the players, of the sports manager Patrice Collazo.
That he had to resolve to dismiss last February after having supported him for a long time against winds and tides.
Far from being a long calm river, his first forty months at the head of the RCT therefore resemble an interminable obstacle course for this 83-year-old businessman who owes his fortune to the marketing of plastic bags for hospital use.
A spectacular turnaround
If, sportingly, the club is finally better - last in the Top 14 in December, the arrival of the former manager of Clermont, Franck Azéma, has allowed a spectacular recovery: ten victories during the last thirteen days -, behind the scenes, that always tugging.
A large fringe of supporters vehemently reproaches him for having sacrificed a child of the club, the “minot” Louis Carbonel, on the altar of his pride.
Bernard Lemaitre indeed considers the young 22-year-old opener as the leader of the internal sling against Patrice Collazo.
A rebellion that he did not support, showing the U20 world champion the way out, towards Montpellier.
He is also up against the discontent of the "Fadas".
"
Surprised and hurt
" by their criticisms of him, Bernard Lemaitre nevertheless seeks to reconcile with the public of Mayol.
To win him back.
This involves communication operations - he hired the former boss of RMC Sport, François Pesenti, to take charge of "
the club's entire business department and ensure its strategic development
" - or the construction of a building dedicated to supporters .
On the sporting side, by providing the RCT with modern facilities (the Campus), he bet on training, turning his back on the politics of stars (by granting an exception with the recruitment of Cheslin Kolbe).
With the objective of becoming "
within five years
» a stronghold of French and European rugby.
