The letter is long.
Acerbic.
In a long post published on his Facebook account, Florian Grill responds dryly, and not without humor, to his detractors Bernard Laporte, Mourad Boudjellal, Guilhem Guirado and Marie-Pierre Pagès, former treasurer of the FFR.
The latter have multiplied the barbs against the new president of the FFR, since the resignation of Bernard Laporte, convicted at first instance (he appealed) for having entered into a “corruption pact” with Mohed Altrad, president of the Montpellier club and sponsor French XV jersey.
Grill begins by responding to Laporte, the enmity between the two men not dating from yesterday.
“To all honor, Bernard, you accuse me of “lying about the accounts”.
I admit that it makes me smile, scolds the president of the FFR.
If I have no problem recognizing that you have real coaching skills, I think that reading balance sheets and income statements is an area where there is a small chance that I will be better placed.
The upcoming audit of the Court of Auditors on the FFR will confirm my words.
We'll see if you accuse them of lying too?
It would be juicy.”
To Boudjellal: “I pity the one who went behind you and who was forced to fill in the gaps!”
Second scud for Boudjellal, close to Laporte with whom he won three Champions Cups (between 2013 and 2015) and a Brennus (2014):
“I was able to go to the Southern League on several occasions which was forbidden to me at the time of the presidency of Henri Mondino, I was able to find out about your past exploits and I know a lot more.
Bravo for the titles with Toulon even if we can regret the few players selectable for the France team, but I pity the one who came behind you (Bernard Lemaître) and who was forced to fill the holes!
Guilhem Guirado, former captain of the XV of France during the dark years experienced by the Blues and now member of the Steering Committee of the FFR (opposition to Grill), also takes his place.
“You must believe that you learn quickly: in just over 6 months you are already capable of delivering a terrible blow by declaring that our results would be “a catastrophe”.
I nevertheless note with mischief that you speak more in the media than in the Steering Committee where your presence is not continuous, and your silence is quite stunning,”
he asserts.
A deficit of 40 million euros over the last two seasons
The last salvo is for Marie-Pierre Pagès, former treasurer of the FFR under the presidency of Laporte.
Grill recounts his whistles in the Stade Vélodrome lounge during his recent speech to the Irish delegation, before the match against the XV du Trèfle in the Tournament:
“It was quite pitiful to hear your whistle in the lounge and how I I was able to tell you, you did not shine the image of France and the FFR with this attitude unworthy of an elected official.”
And the president of the Ligue Île-de-France drove the point home on the financial aspect:
“Since you are distributing the good and bad points, allow me Marie-Pierre to remind you that you were treasurer of the FFR for 6 months during which… you saw nothing.
Nothing at all.
Neither the million Australians (what a joke by the way), nor the 35 million slippage of a GIE which according to you should have gained at least 10 million euros and which loses 25 (a straw a difference of 35 million), nor everything else."
Florien Grill regularly recalls the catastrophic financial situation of the FFR, even mentioning a deficit of 40 million euros over the last two seasons.
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And Florian Grill, particularly upset, concluded:
“Know in any case that while you rage in the media or make your troops scream on social networks by multiplying false information, we are already recording the fruits of our work.
And yes, I have bad news for you, I have no doubt that we will succeed in raising the bar of the FFR without cutting the human resources of the French teams, without affecting the salaried teams in Marcoussis and by giving more resources to the local: regional leagues, departmental committees and amateur clubs that you have neglected!
(...) While you howl at wolves, we… we work.”