What exactly is happening at Paris La Défense Arena?
According to a survey by L'Equipe published on Wednesday, the atmosphere seems more than heavy within the company in charge of managing the Nanterre performance hall (Hauts-de-Seine) where the Racing 92 rugby club play their matches at home.
What seems to have undermined the atmosphere, say several sources in the sports daily, is the arrival at the head of the structure on July 1 of Frédéric Longuépée, former president of the Girondins de Bordeaux football club and ex-deputy general manager of the PSG.
Twenty employees out of 70 left, most after having resigned.
“Everything was going really well, the atmosphere was quite incredible, quite family-like, no one was counting their hours, but since Longuépée's arrival, everything has changed,” explains an employee who preferred to remain anonymous.
The new leader admits this figure, but claims that only one person has been fired since taking office.
“We are in universes, sport and the music world, where the emotional plays an important part.
The day you have to make this personal choice to leave, after having been present since the opening, there are probably a lot of you that you leave, ”slips Frédéric Longuépée.
A relative of Longuepée accused of creating "a deleterious climate"
Employees in tears, leaving summoned to finish their notice period at home and not at the workplace, "deleterious climate" established by Antony Thiodet, close to Longuépée who had already worked alongside him in Gironde and today consultant in Paris La Défense Arena… The latter defended himself, claiming to work “always with respect”.
The boss of the structure says that the workforce has been reinforced since his arrival, and that a seminar was organized at the end of September to strengthen internal cohesion.
In an anonymous letter sent to L'Equipe, "employees of Paris La Défens Arena" write that they "are trying to leave because of the lack of consideration and the condescension of the leaders".
According to this letter, a report to the labor inspectorate has been made.
The Regional and Interdepartmental Directorate for the Economy, Employment, Labor and Solidarity of Nanterre, potentially in charge of this file, did not respond to requests from the sports daily.