Mohed Altrad on the MHR situation: “There is nothing!”, assures the president of the Montpellier club

Le président Mohed Altrad s'est exprimé sur la situation que traverse le MHR. Midi Libre – JEAN-MICHEL MART

Mohed Altrad, president of Montpellier Hérault Rugby, commented on the situation his club has been going through in recent weeks.

Here you want some twists and turns. After the players' survey (35 out of 38 voted yes) last Sunday to meet the president Mohed Altrad, the rise of certain executives in the face of management of the director of rugby Bernard Laporte and the mine clearance of Patrice Collazo  in front of the media on Wednesday, new information came to shake up the Montpellier coconut tree.

According to Midi Olympique, Bernard Laporte could be promoted to deputy president of the MHR. A similar operation at the Stade Français would then be established, with a main investor (Hans Peter-Wild) and an employee president (Thomas Lombard). Altrad would take an even further step back from the management of the club, entrusting the keys to the truck to the former coach of the XV of France.

When contacted this Thursday, the businessman denied this information. "There is nothing, I can tell you ;rsquo;ensure", he promises. "You know, every season there are changes. In the staff, in terms of the game system, the players… There is nothing there."

"It's just friction, that's all"

This Laporte promotion has been in the air for several weeks in the corridors of the GGL Stadium. But in recent days, the director of rugby has been weakened by player meetings and the desire of some to see him withdraw from the sport. The Laporte/players relationship seems to have ended.

According to various media, the players have even asked for the heads of Bernard Laporte and manager Patrice Collazo from next season. Here too, Altrad is crippled. "No, no, no. There is no breakage either. I read everything you write. You see problems between Laporte, Collazo and the rest of the club. You interpret things. Now, it's just friction, that's all. We must not add problems to problems. That’s what I told the players when I saw them. The atmosphere is healthy. She's tense too, but that's normal, the situation demands that. Everyone is concerned", assures the Montpellier president, in office since 2011.

Altrad, moreover, takes its share of responsibility in the failure of the Hérault season. "I told the players that they were responsible. But I am too, in a way. I come to the club less. I no longer attend all the away matches. Maybe there's a bit of that too, he whispers.

𝗙𝗢𝗖𝗨𝗦 🔍

On révise la dernière rencontre de la saison au GGL Stadium, ce samedi à 17h00 face au @LeLOURugby ! 📚#TeamMHR 🔵⚪️ #MHRLOU pic.twitter.com/2aoQWO3JiW

— Montpellier Rugby (@MHR_officiel) May 30, 2024

The businessman also admits experiencing "the worst season" since his arrival at the club , but don’t forget "everything else, the two finals, the two Challenge victories, the Brennus Shield in 2022".

"We're working. We only worry about the game system, the typical team and the stakes of the next two matches before the ’access-match". If we're going to change things in the future? I don't know. All these reflections require discussion and serenity. If we continue to get angry, it's not a good way to make decisions, concludes Mohed Altrad.

Like Patrice Collazo on Wednesday, the president of the MHR wants to be temperate. Even if internally, things are boiling and the players have promised each other sacred union. A fiery context which hides some good news, such as the extensions of Lenni Nouchi (2026) and Tyler Duguid (2027) or even the last ' by Geoffrey Doumayrou on Saturday against Lyon. We haven’t finished talking about Montpellier.

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