The South African opening half Handre Pollard (right) is the last big recruit in Montpellier Rugby. - GAIZKA IROZ / AFP

The federal committee of ethics and deontology of French rugby, seized in November by the FFR, went up the suspenders of the National League about the case of the salary cap of the club of Montpellier, according to an opinion issued Thursday.

Against the backdrop of a war between the Fed and the League

In November, the Federation's appeal commission partially cleared the MHR, sanctioned by the League to pay 470,000 euros for having exceeded the ceiling of the payroll during the 2017-2018 season (400,000 for the excess and 70,000 for title of the failure to communicate certain elements).

The LNR, which made this ceiling, fixed at 11.3 million euros per season, its workhorse, had reacted by deploring "the questioning of this decision of first instance". In response, the FFR had immediately seized this ethics committee after a "serious challenge" on the part of the League, in his own words

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A few months later, the ethics committee therefore delivered its verdict, dismissing the League. The committee thus considered that "the decision rendered by the FFR appeal commission and criticized by the LNR rests on grounds which are specific to it and of which it is now up to the judge to assess the legality".

Furthermore, the ethics committee recalls that the “prudential measures” put in place due to the links between Mohed Altrad, president of Montpellier, and the FFR, of which the Altrad group is one of the main partners, had been jointly decided by the League and Federation. For example, the members of the appeal board are appointed in equal parts by the two bodies.

Tensions since 2007

Finally, the committee clarified that “in the event of a new breach of sports ethics and deontology linked to the non-respect of the independent discretion of the commissions (…) it will examine the advisability of initiating disciplinary proceedings "

These tensions between the two institutions recall those of 2017, when Bernard Laporte, freshly elected head of the Federation, had tried to impose his views on the League, which manages the professional sector of French rugby (Top 14 and Pro D2).

"The Laporte-Altrad case"

In 2017, the MHR, which maintains tense relations with the League, had been pinned by the LNR (fine of 70,000 euros and suspension of ground) for the hostile banners deployed during a match against Racing 92. The Commission the FFR's appeal had reduced this sanction and lifted the suspension of the pitch.

The revelations of the JDD according to which Laporte had intervened with the president of the Commission, Jean-Daniel Simonet, so that he showed leniency towards Montpellier had started "the Laporte-Altrad affair". Searches were carried out in early 2018 at the home of Altrad and at the FFR headquarters in Marcoussis.

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Rugby: The Council of State confirms the legitimacy of the salary cap, challenged by the Montpellier club

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