EXCLUSIVE - Laurent Nicollin: "I want competent people at the VAR"

Colin Abgrall 8:00 p.m., February 12, 2022

EXCLUSIVE

For nearly half an hour, Laurent Nicollin, president of the MHSC, speaks on all current football topics, from violence in the stadiums to video refereeing which he criticizes with virulence, from the economic crisis French clubs to the imbroglio of TV rights, as well as on his role as president of "Foot Unis", the union of professional clubs.

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After Louis Nicollin: "In the difficulty, things happened naturally"

"I had my older brother so let's say I wasn't alone. So already, that makes things easier. We rely on each other. The luck we had is that I had already been present for a few years, I was still working with my father on a daily basis and in the company also with my brother. We will say that, in the difficulty, things happened quite naturally And despite the sad pain, we were already in deep and dirty hands and feet with my brother, whether at the club or in society, so that allowed us to take the next step.

So, some people must have said to themselves that from the moment Louis Nicollin is no longer there, the two sons are going to kick their ass.

But that is very French and it may be logical.

We may not be as strong or as bright as our father but hey, we had some good grounding.

Before criticizing, let's wait to see what we can or cannot do.

And if we are competent, so much the better.

And if we are not competent, we are told and we withdraw.

And then we do something else.

It was my father's strength.

He never wanted to let go.

And then, for him, retiring was not possible.

Until the end, he wanted to be there.

But while remaining, he transmitted.

Things happened naturally.

He didn't want to, because it's still his phrase: 'I'm the boss'.

So indeed, with my brother we always said that he was the boss.

But it's true that he transmitted, he trusted us.

Things happened naturally."

The trace left by Louis Nicollin: "We ask him for his support from where he can look" 

"It's true that what the supporters offered us in the 74th minute, which came from our ultras, was something quite fabulous (Editor's note, the supporters applaud each match in the 74th, in honor of the year of arrival of Louis Nicollin at the head of Montpellier, 1974. And it is true that it is reflected in each home game, in each away game. It is something quite moving. It builds strength and automatically you think of him and ask for his support from where he can look at him."

On what he's built: 'I'm happy to serve football'

"Yes, I'm proud. It may be to show my father that here we are, little by little, we made the choice to follow certain orientations that he told him not to do and that worked for us. And today "Today, he might be happy and proud to see me president of the union of all clubs (Foot Unis). It was not something we said to each other too openly. I am happy to serve football. I try to do the best you can. It gives me more worries, more headaches, it gives me extra meetings in Paris but I'm still good in my midday under my sun.

Today, we don't have much sun... But I do it because I felt it was important that all the clubs, especially in the midst of the Covid crisis, all show solidarity and show another image of the football that we have been able to give for a few years.

That's not why we're going to solve all the problems and everything will be beautiful.

On the contrary, there is still a lot of work.

And then also because I followed Vincent Labrune, who is a friend, who is struggling in the football league and who needed support, whether for the union or for the Collège de Ligue 1 with Jean -Pierre Caillot.

So it's also important to give that back to him and to be with him to try to face the difficulties that French football is currently experiencing."

His relationship with LFP president Vincent Labrune: "It's more than a footballing bond"

"Already, we get along very well. I knew him when he was at Olympique de Marseille, so that created links. Afterwards, it's true that it's a club that is close, that this either Marseille and Montpellier, we are still cities in the South, so we are quite close. We have always had an excellent relationship. Even with my father, it has always gone very well. He invited me to his wedding , he was at my wedding. We created ties and it's more than a football bond. There is friendship. Fortunately, we have him as president of the league, with the period we have lived with Mediapro and the Covid.

If there were other people, I think it would be even more complicated.

After all is not the best in today's world.

But hey, he fights with all his might and tries to create a commercial company that can allow all clubs to breathe a little better.

So here he is, he fights, he struggles, he tries to do the maximum possible with the league for French football.

There will be two more complicated years, then afterwards, with the new TV rights, I hope that the French clubs will be more competitive again."

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On the future of French football: "Financially, it's complicated"

"We are still the fourth or fifth championship and if we don't pay more attention, if we don't have better TV rights, if we don't have more efficient stadiums, if we don't have more adequate for all clubs, we will regress. Afterwards, I also think that it is a source of motivation and a leitmotif to tell ourselves precisely that we do not want to come to this. So we have to find arguments, sales forces to be better, for the championship to be higher.

Afterwards, we must also recognize that if we did not have Paris Saint-Germain, which is one of the most structured and financially advanced European clubs, the Ligue 1 championship would be even lower.

So we must preserve Paris Saint-Germain, we must preserve other big clubs which must also grow.

But despite everything, I think that this year, we have a fairly attractive championship.

There are a lot of great games and a lot of goals.

We are on the right track, but it is sure that financially, it is complicated.

We still had two complicated seasons with the Covid.

I suffered from it last year, this year we are doing more or less because we have sold players.

But we know that for two or three years, we will be forced to sell as long as there are no new TV rights that will arrive.

On TV rights: "There were more than 15 requests"

"We went from suddenly to Mediapro where it was billions and we found ourselves between 600 and 650 million. Yes, that's a delta. To just give you an idea, it's as if I , in my budget, I had budgeted 60 million budget. I found myself at 40, so all of a sudden, I have a loss of 20 million. There are still two years of TV rights left. I think we will relaunch the call for tenders next year to hope in 2024-2025 to have better rights or rights that increase, which will be a little higher than currently.

There is that side and there is the commercial company, which is also a springboard.

It must already pass at the level of the laws.

It must be validated by Parliament or the Senate.

And for the moment, I know that Vincent (Labrune) and the Football League have blocked four or five providers.

They talked again this week.

They spent four or five hours arguing with pension funds, so there you go, it's interesting.

There have been more than 15 requests, so that proves that there is interest.

Considering the big clubs that there can be, be it Paris Saint-Germain, be it Lyon, Monaco, be it Olympique de Marseille.

It proves that our championship can attract.

Afterwards, what are we going to touch, what are we going to have?

There will be other discussions to know, in the distribution, who will take what.

On stadium violence: 'It's not good for football'

"It is certain that there was a repetition of events every weekend. At some point, you tell yourself that it is not possible. We always live badly when a match is interrupted, when there is some kind of moron who throws a bottle of water, cans or whatever at a player. I think the player is sacred. When you see Nice-Marseille, where a Nice supporter enters the field and kicks Marseille players, it seems supernatural.

These are things you don't want to see in a football stadium.

There is a difference between an isolated act of a person in the stands who throws and during the Lensois derby where there is a phenomenon of supporters who enter the field to do battle with other supporters.

But hey, one or the other, it's not good things.

It's not good for football.

Unfortunately, it may reflect the image of society.

But it's not just football.

I think it can happen anywhere.

But I think it's football, maybe sport in general, that heightens passions, heightens tensions.

You film me when we score a goal, I pass for a half stupid because I jump, I'm happy, I'm happy.

Afterwards, from there to wanting to hit someone or throw something at someone... When you're built a little normally, there are limits.

When you're stupid, you're stupid.

You can shout, you can insult, you can sing, you can talk but at some point, you don't throw something at someone.

You have to know, keep reason, be a little structured in your head."

On sanctions: "I am against collective sanctions"

"I am against collective sanctions. We systematically penalize the club. The person who had thrown something during Montpellier-Marseille had a reminder of the law but no more. It is in the image of society. If you sell drugs, when you attack an old woman, you'll do ten years of sheet metal, maybe you'll think twice when you're going to do it.

When you throw something at someone, you can have a financial penalty.

The financial losses that the clubs have suffered, if tomorrow it is a supporters' association or the person directly who takes the sanction, maybe they will think twice before doing something stupid.

So for now, knock on wood, nothing is happening.

But when you're a football lover, a player lover, a sports lover, you have to realize that you're not doing just anything.

From there to throwing things, there are barriers not to cross.

His role as executive chairman: "I spend my days at the club"

"It takes time. In the morning I go to the office at the company to settle current affairs, then see my brother and discuss with the general management. As soon as I finish that, I go to training or I go in the club's offices. I spend my days at the club because it's demanding. Afterwards, there are quieter periods like now because the transfers are over, so let's say it's a little quieter. But when July and August come along with the transfers, those are a bit more exhilarating, more exciting and more challenging times."

Montpellier's situation in Ligue 1: "I want competent people at VAR"

"If the ranking stopped there, we would be happy because it would be good. But afterwards, we would be frustrated because once again, we would not be far from European places. We are 7th. We could be higher if there hadn't been the gag we had in Strasbourg (red card for Elyhe Wahi). not made a mistake and the VAR doesn't see it because the guy went to the bathroom or he looked at something else and if you win there you put the club at 6 points...

They are fourth and so much the better for them.

I have a lot of friendship for Strasbourg and for Marc Keller (President of Racing) who is a friend.

I'm glad it's him.

But hey, you know, when I see the rankings and I see Strasbourg in front, it leaves me with a bitter taste.

I think we should be in their place because there was incompetence at the VAR level.

There were meals on Sundays when Michel Platini was at home.

He was anti-VAR and my father and I were for it.

When you see what we experienced in Strasbourg, it makes you change your mind.

But I just want there to be competent people doing the VAR.

Not amateurs, not incompetent guys who are frustrated not to referee or who protect the central referee by condoning the faults he has made.

What we experienced in Strasbourg was totally grotesque.

It changes a season.

If we hadn't expelled him, we wouldn't lose in Strasbourg, I'm sure of that.

And the ranking is not the same.

So we are just asking for fairness.

We sent the letter to the Disciplinary Committee to cancel.

We got the player back, so much the better.

But hey, the damage is done.

These are things that should not happen.

It's impossible.

And then I'll say it again: when the sixth meets the fifth, we don't put a referee who has never refereed in Ligue 1 (Pierre Gaillouste officiates for the first time in Ligue 1 this year).

I'm going to incur Mr. Garibian's wrath, but it doesn't matter."

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The World Cup every two years: "Another thing to make money"

For me, the World Cup is every four years and the European Championship the same.

It's a bit like the Champions League where the big clubs are always the same.

Seeing Real Madrid, Barcelona or Juventus and Bayern all the time doesn't excite me.

A World Cup is every four years, you're looking forward to it.

Is it good for football?

No, it's good for money.

It's still a trick to make money.

You have to stop always wanting to make money, money, money.

I think they made enough money.

It's legendary a World Cup every 4 years.

We are the flagship sport.

We are the number one sport.

I think that if it takes place every two years, I'm not saying we'll get tired because we're football fans, but hey.

It doesn't excite me.

On the new Montpellier stadium: "It will be the Stade Louis-Nicollin"

We attacked in 2016, it's already been six years, so it's starting to be long but we're making progress little by little.

I think by this summer we will have seen the bear's tail.

I hope that we will not be far from filing a permit to then start the work in 2023. On the financial side, it is a 100% private project.

You have to find funds, you have to find money.

There were people we worked with at the start who left so we found other people.

The Covid also slowed all that down.

But hey, we're moving forward.

But in France, to do a project, it's still a long time.

This will be the Louis Nicollin stadium.

That's the least we can give him back.

We would have liked to open it for the 50th anniversary of the club, in November 2024, but I think that given the delay we are taking,