News: Seven French clubs questioned in agent
payments scandal; Toulon target Azam
04 February 2009
A major
scandal involving alleged fraudulent deals between clubs and
a player agent has broken in France.
Police
swooped on seven professional clubs on Tuesday morning –
including Top 14 sides Montpellier and Biarritz - taking a
number of administrators into custody as they investigate a
number of deals said to involve players of South African
origin. It is understood the investigation is looking at the
role of “financial intermediaries” who acted in the
recruitment of players.
The
cases being investigated date from the 2005/6 season and
among those taken into custody by the Regional Judicial
Police (SRPJ) are Montpellier president Thierry Perez and
former Biarritz president Marcel Martin.
The
seven clubs under investigation are believed to be
Montpellier, Biarritz – both in Top 14 - Narbonne, Agen,
Albi, Beziers and Aurillac – all in Pro D2.
The
investigation started in Grasse in 2007 following an initial
inquiry by the French Rugby Federation (FFR). It refers to
alleged transactions during the 2005/6 season.
“The
French Rugby Federation is facing the same problems as
football and is trying to moralize the profession of agent
and remain vigilant on the issue,” said the magistrate of
the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Grasse.
The
league’s governing body (the LNR) said no-one should jump to
any conclusions of guilt regarding the clubs or their
administrators, and said all persons being questioned had
given themselves up voluntarily.
It
added:
"Representatives of several French
professional clubs have been heard so far in the proceedings
conducted by a magistrate in Grasse against a person likely
to have unlawfully function sports agent who follows a
complaint filed by the FFR in November 2006 and which later
joined the LNR.”
Elsewhere, Gloucester’s French hooker Olivier Azam
also looks set to rejoin former boss Philippe Saint-Andre at
Toulon.
The
34-year-old, who captained Gloucester to victory over London
Irish at the weekend, said personal reasons would determine
whether he moves back to France.
“I have
to decide where I want to bring up my unborn child. The
offer from Toulon is a very good one,” he confirmed.
The French international is out of contract
at the end of the season. “I am talking to Gloucester at the
moment. I would like another two years. I must sit down and
make a decision,” he said.
It was
Saint-Andre who first brought Azam to England, when he was
coach at Gloucester, and the French hooker said the chance
to work with him again was tempting.
Another
French player heading to Toulon is Clermont prop Laurent
Emmanuelli, after the 31-year-old confirmed he would be
joining the Top 14 strugglers next season.
Agustin
Pichot’s re-signing for Stade Francais has been
confirmed with the veteran Argentine scrum-half allowed to
play for the Paris club from February 19th.
Crocked
All Black fly-half Dan Carter, meanwhile, is due to
go under the knife in Paris on Thursday.
The Kiwi
will be operated on by Professor Eric Rolland at the
hospital
Pitié-Salpêtrière, but has not ruled out a
return to Perpignan in the future.
“I don’t
regret coming to play,” said Carter. “I discovered another
type of rugby and I like that.
“I’m
just disappointed not to be able to play a full season.
Maybe I’ll come back to play in Perpignan after the Rugby
World Cup in 2011,” he added.
And
Carter stressed that it was his decision to play in the
Stade Francais match. “I was confident before the match. I
took the decision to play because I felt well.”
Perpignan, meanwhile, have confirmed they are looking for a
short-term replacement to cover for Carter’s absence until
the end of the season.
The
LNR has also confirmed the Top 14 playing schedule for
weekend of the 27/28 of February – which clashes with the
Six Nations championship.
The
Friday night Bourgoin versus Toulon game has been moved to a
19.00 kick off so as not to clash with the 21.00 start of
the France versus Wales international. The remaining games
will all start at 14.30 on Saturday 28th, with
the exception being the Toulouse versus Montauban match
which will kick off at 20.30.
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