Didier Lacroix in front of the Stade Toulousain Support Wall, January 19, 2021 in Ernest-Wallon.

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Nicolas Stival / 20 Minutes

  • Didier Lacroix presented his wishes to the press on Tuesday at Ernest-Wallon.

  • The president of Stade Toulousain swept the news of the leader of the Top 14. He balances between concerns and voluntarism in the face of the extension of a health and economic crisis of which no one sees the end.

In addition to the sporting success of the leader of the Top 14 and his societal commitment, there was a lot of talk of big money this Tuesday at Ernest-Wallon.

At the same time as his wishes, the president of Stade Toulousain presented the economic situation of the club to the press.

“As my friend Mourad Boudjellal says, Didier Lacroix is ​​a mourner.

And unfortunately he is right.

"

Lacroix alluded to a recent video column by the former Toulon boss, who was ironic about his multiple warning messages about the situation of the Rouge et Noir and French rugby in general.

He also portrayed at

20 Minutes

, a club that has managed to break even over the 2019-2020 season, but weakened by the persistence of the health crisis.

You said you took on a “mourning” role.

As president of Stade Toulousain, I am emblematic enough to represent the real economy of the clubs, to look at the issues linked to ticketing.

Laurent Marti or Vincent Merling (presidents of UBB and La Rochelle) can do exactly the same.

I took the floor to show the extent of the damage and the necessary implementation of state measures to support health measures.

I have also done it with the institutions of the region, the department, the agglomeration for all the professional clubs.

We need to find solutions through state aid during this period.

It is up to us to be autonomous the next day.

What about this government aid?

They are acquired from the start of the season until December 30.

Unfortunately, the period continues.

We have to see if they can go beyond this fateful date of January 1, because we are still in the same conditions and perhaps for a while.

We have to manage either to "refill" the stadiums, or to continue the aid.

We are waiting for the payment of the commitments recorded by the State (around four million euros for the Stadium) which should soon arrive in our bank accounts.

# Conf2021, @didierlacroixx: "We need to be aware of the damage we will suffer next season. Thanks in particular to the support of our supporters and partners, we have balanced the 2019-2020 financial year and are balancing the current one."

- Stade Toulousain (@StadeToulousain) January 19, 2021

We are alive today in terms of cash flow thanks to the PGE (loan guaranteed by the State, in the amount of approximately five million euros).

We will certainly have the relay of the State's commitment to cover the lack of public.

This does not prevent you from investing, recruiting, extending your players ...

This is the whole difficulty of saying: we need state aid to live and, on the other hand, we are obliged to foresee the future.

The EMP, it will have to be repaid.

To pay it back, you need a healthy club.

To have a healthy club, you have to have results.

It is the virtuous circle of Stade Toulousain that we will have to perpetuate.

Should we expect to see less movement of players, in Toulouse or elsewhere?

Yes because all the clubs rely more on training, there is a little less mobility.

Young players born under the Stade Toulousain or Racing 92 banner will want to stay a little longer rather than leaving.

But the transfers will continue to cause a stir, because the public loves it.

Is the 2021-2022 staff at the Stade already full?

We have perhaps left one or two possibilities for the future.

But a Top 14 club looped 95% of its workforce in October of the previous year.

This is why we are asking for a certain number of helpers and continuing our recruitment at the same time.

In the media, the two things are sometimes difficult to understand.

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