France find it difficult to feel love for Altrad
Montpellier chairman Mohed Altrad, born to a Bedouin tribe in the desert, has built a global empire that turns over billions. Unfortunately for him, none of that cash can buy him the love of French rugby, a game he did not even know seven years ago.
Even though he is the largest single contributor to the financial health of the sport.
The figures are remarkable. He says he has spent up to £20m from his own pocket to lever Montpellier from mediocrity to the top of the Top 14.
The name of Altrad, already used for the club stadium, is now emblazoned on the national team shirt at a cost of £40m over five years.
He has established a £4m foundation to help youngsters at small clubs throughout France to hire coaches.
And he even had some influence on securing France the 2023 World Cup by financing the tub-thumping tours of Federation president Bernard Laporte.
And there lies the rub. For Laporte has had his home and office raided by police investigating at the very least a show of favouritism towards Altrad.
A suspicion hardened by a secret contract for £150,000 between the pair which a chastened Laporte felt obliged to rip up once it had become public.
That is a long-term inquiry. Of more recent concern to Altrad is the poor reception he received at a meeting of clubs while showing them 150 slides to support his lessons in finance while settling a few scores at the same time.
Bordeaux chairman Laurence Marti accused him of having a superiority complex amid catcalls from the floor.
His riposte is not guaranteed to placate his detractors. “Professionally, I am largely superior to them, but I have never spoken about that, never. They are the ones talking about it.
“I do have means superior to others. That is the way it is. The problems of the France set-up are not so much different than I found at Montpellier when I took over the club.
“I asked myself whether the experience I have had with my club could be of benefit to the national team.”
The name of Altrad was very visible on the French shirts for their opening Six Nations match against Ireland yesterday.
The man, himself, said it had been excellent for his building materials business at club level by expanding his turnover from £300m to more than three billion.
But that his interest in the national team was more for the benefit of France and was costing him a lot of money he did not begrudge.
You feel the police probe into his relationship with Laporte could put an end to his plans it it comes to a trial and an eventual guilty verdict.
But, in any case, the wheels of French justice can turn extremely slowly and such an eventual conclusion could take up to three years.
In the meantime, he is quite happy to accept that his opinions will not always be shared by the Federation he is supporting.
That is so, for example, in the matter of the sacking of national coach Guy Noves, considered a stitchup by many after a so-called audit of clubs presidents, coaches and players.
Altrad said: “They called me about the audit and I told them the head coach wasn’t the problem. They sacrificed Noves who could have ended up winning. There was other work to be done first regarding the education of players and their physical and mental preparation.
“He deserved better treatment. They neglected the human side of things. They could have placed Noves elsewhere because he has enormous experience.”
A national ethics committee has put in place measures to guarantee that the Altrad contract cannot win Montpellier any favours, including any influence on the choice of their referees.
But they did criticise both parties for apparently rushing through the shirt sponsorship agreement.
Altrad responds that he was the only applicant and others had plenty of time to lodge bids.
In other words, there is still a climate of tension surrounding the affair, still great distrust from fellow Top 14 presidents.
Interestingly, Altrad revealed he had signed another contract with Laporte to become his head coach before the latter won the Federation presidential election.
There was a clause inserted which invalidated the deal if Laporte were successful in the hustings.
Altrad had wanted him to replace South African Jake White who had angered him by putting himself up for the England job finally accepted by Eddie Jones.
He said: “At the time, I wasn’t sure he had any choice of becoming president. Who would have done, apart from him?
“I have a lot of affection for Bernard Laporte. He is a man who gets things done. He has become a friend over time. I still call him. I support him and it is the reason why I get stigmatised.”
“The name of Altrad, already used for the club stadium, is now emblazoned on the national team shirt at a cost of £40m over five years”