The succession of Bernard Laporte is becoming clearer at the head of the French Rugby Federation.
The president of the FFR had been forced to resign after pressure from all sides following his conviction at first instance on December 13, for corruption and influence peddling in particular.
It is as expected the treasurer of the FFR Alexandre Martinez who was appointed interim president, by the steering committee meeting this Friday.
“In accordance with the procedures provided for in article 21 of the statutes of the French Rugby Federation, the FFR Management Committee, meeting regularly on February 3, validated the candidacy of Alexandre Martinez for the position of interim President”, indicated the Federation.
It is always a member of the Laporte team who finds himself at the head of the FFR.
The steering committee is in fact only made up of members of the federal office and other representatives of the pro-Laporte majority elected in 2020. Last Friday, the elected representatives of the opposition and the two members of the National Rugby League present on the committee director resigned to protest against the refusal of this "codir" to resign in order to provoke a new general election.
In the absence of resignation of the rest of the steering committee, the statutes provide for the appointment of an interim president until the next general meeting, scheduled for the end of June in Lille.
“Reduce division and fracture”
Aged 70, the discreet Alexandre Martinez will therefore be the number one in the FFR during this Six Nations Tournament, which the XV of France begins on Sunday in Italy.
Elected on Bernard Laporte's list in 2016, the treasurer saw his accounts, with a surplus of more than 6 million euros, difficult to validate (52.41%) during the FFR's general financial meeting in December.
“I would like to thank the members of the Management Committee for their confidence, indicated Alexandre Martinez.
As interim president, I want to draw inspiration from my past as number 10, the notion of openness will be essential.
I will manage day-to-day business with a clear objective: to reduce the division and fracture that currently affects French rugby.
It's time to come together, unite and support our XV of France with pride.
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