Sergio Parisse likely to leave Paris as in-fighting continues
T“Open war has broken out between long-term Stade stars, including France internationals, and new South African boss Heyneke Meyer”
he songs are stilled, the drums no longer beating and the banners remain unfurled. That is the silent stadium protest being staged by fans of Stade Francais. Despite the favourite shirt colours of their team, few of them feel in the pink these days.
That is because the supporters who declared their resistance in this way during their last home game are furious with the way their club is being run by Hans-Peter Wild, the German billionaire who bought their beloved Stade two seasons ago.
On the surface of things, you might imagine that fourth place in the Top 14 is highly promising for a team that narrowly avoided relegation during Wild’s first campaign.
But open war has broken out between long-term Stade stars, including France internationals, and new South African boss Heyneke Meyer.
Serious trouble has been brewing behind the scenes for a while as crowd favourites have regularly disappeared from team sheets or starting line-ups.
And since Meyer has stepped up a South African presence on and off the field while insisting on a style of play that clashes with their spectacular past.
It has now come to a head with the sackings of German rugby director Robert Mohr and, especially, Julien Dupuy, the skills coach who played scrum-half for Stade for eight years.
Leicester fans will no doubt remember Dupuy for having played a year in their colours and reaching the old Heineken Cup final.
They were both accused of having stirred up trouble by backing the complaints of those out of favour.
Men like fly-half Jules Plisson, flanker Alexandre Flanquart, winger Djibril Camara, lock Antoine Burban – all France internationals – and captain Sergio Parisse, their star Italian captain.
They have more than 40 years’ service between them and most are at their peak with two or three years of contract ahead of them.
The fans who organised their protest at Stade’s last European tie against Pau have emotional ties with men they have backed so fervently. Especially as they won a Top 14 title three years ago.
Parisse, unwilling to broach the controversial topic after the game, did say that the firing decisions, relayed by Wild from a yacht in the Caribbean, “had been taken at a bad time”.
Fans fear that Stade are about to trample local culture as Montpellier have already done with the job lots from his country that South African Jake White imported to Montpellier. With little success.
And, as evidence, they cite the arrival of South African Kobus Potgeiter as academy coach and the recent hiring of compatriots, back rower Hanro Liebenberg and scrumhalf Andre Warner as medical replacements and lock Hendre Stassen.
Fans suspect their old favourite Pascal Pape has been retained, for now, as their nominal academy boss so as not to upset them further.
Wild has issued a statement intended to reassure them. He said: “The reorganisation put in place around Heyneke Meyer, in whom I have full confidence, provides the many assets required to reach the ambitious objectives we have fixed.
“It shows my determination to make Stade Francais one of the greatest clubs in the world.”
He did not mention the sackings which have sparked trouble. What drove him to taking action was a letter from the agent of Plisson and Flanquart complaining of the treatment they had received from Meyer.
Wild, who made part of his fortune from selling a soft drink, is clearly hard-line in his management style. As is former South Africa boss Meyer.
Both are aware that player power has been rampant for years. The most recent example was the strike by stars led by Pape in protest against a proposed merger with Racing.
The team have also been credited with getting the sack for former bosses George Coste, John Connolly and Michael Cheika.
So those who have fallen out with Meyer have their futures in serious doubt. Plisson, for example, is expected to join Clermont next season.
Parisse, 33 and out of contract this summer, has sought unsuccessfully to contact Wild about the crisis. He will almost certainly be on his way.
Camara has three years left on his contract. That could pose a problem over his leaving because a new rule insists that any compensation paid to players forms part of the salary cap.
Stade have taken the first step in placating their fans by signing Fabrice Landreau as sports director to work with Meyer.
Landreau is a former Stade hooker who went on to assist manager Fabien Galthie in a partnership that won the club the Top 14 title in 2007.
Club president Hubert Patricot had fans in mind, too, when he promised in the week that Stade’s aim was to have 80 per cent of their team made up of home-grown talent from their academy.
Whether these attempts to placate rebel fans work will only be fully known when Stade next play at home to Lyon on February 2.