Florian Grill has had a unique year. Re-elected president of the FFR in October by a plebiscite, he found himself confronted with two tragic events during the summer which plunged French Rugby into one of the most serious crises in its history, before experiencing an autumn tour of the blues exceptional both in terms of sporting results and the moments of communion between the public and the Blues. An emotional elevator that he recounts here. Without tongue in cheek, always with a concern for truth and transparency.
What do you remember from your year 2024?
The disappearance of Medhi Narjissi… (He breathes). And it will go well beyond 2024.
That's to say ?
I am a father. There is nothing more terrible than the loss of a child.
To the point of having considered resigning…
Yes, just like Jean-Marc Lhermet or Sylvain Deroeux. We discussed it among ourselves. What emerged was that we had a duty to the truth and we tried to work in this direction. This is what guides us whatever the subject. Both on the Mendoza affair and on the reality of the FFR accounts. This principle of transparency is an imperative element of our policy.
How did you experience the strong attacks you were subjected to over the management of your business last summer?
I'm not going to lie to you, the summer was tough. Very hard. But my subject is not important. What matters is rugby and its licensees. We just tried to be consistent with our principles and our values.
What do you remember from the Mendoza affair?
An incredibly difficult time too… A real whirlwind. But the Federation did what it had to do, in particular by obtaining on the spot that the two players were not imprisoned in Mendoza, which could have added drama to the drama. Retroactively, I am satisfied with the way in which we handled this file. Both in the emergency on site where we maintained our course of action by listening to the complainant, by advancing the presumption of innocence and trusting in the Argentine justice system to finally obtain their detention under house arrest, as well as in the co-construction a posteriori of the reinforced performance plan with all the staff of the French teams. Of course, we are never safe from a new incident but the principles have been put forward and heard. This event triggered a collective awareness in all clubs, professionals and amateurs. We no longer sweep the dust under the carpet. We deal with all issues head-on. Ultimately, I feel like we managed to turn a dramatic event into the start of something positive.
On the path that leads to the presidency of a sports federation, do we prepare ourselves to experience such events?
No… We do not engage in such a fight thinking that we can experience such events. We do not prepare ourselves for the disappearance of a child. Never. Impossible. Medhi's disappearance was perhaps the most trying moment of my life. I don't put what happened in Argentina on the same level. For Argentina we knew that such an event could occur in the world of rugby. In February, we launched a commission on the subject of addiction to alcohol and other cocaine-type products, and we knew the importance of addressing the subject. We also knew that the probability of being confronted with a problem around this subject was not zero. The history of rugby proves it. It was a difficult moment but we managed. On the other hand, Medhi's disappearance is incomprehensible.
During this year 2024, you still experienced happy events. Which ones left an impression on you?
Obviously, the title of Olympic champion of the French 7s team and its title of world champion in Madrid, the victorious autumn tour of the XV of France with images of the pre-match light displays which made the world tour, the results of the federal elections after a great field campaign, our plan to revive rugby with the “5 + 5 = 20” which was a huge success, the launch of the Adidas plan, the launch of the first national tournament neighborhoods and campaigns with one million euros invested in the development of rugby thanks to TotalEnergies, the new committed club label… 2024 was an intense year.
An exhausting year?
Yes, a grueling year but rugby is worth it.
Between the tragic events of the summer and the victorious tour of the XV of France in the fall, rugby went from a sport decried by a large section of society to a sport cited as an example because the players of the French team notably sang the Marseillaise… Isn't there a happy medium?
The fall tour of the XV of France was a magnificent moment but I experienced it with the firm intention of not forgetting anything. I am not one of those who believe that one affair chases another. The three successes against Japan, New Zealand and Argentina combined with the pre-match shows orchestrated by the FFR teams, the attendance records at the Stade de France, the unprecedented audiences which place us in front of our friends of football, the behavior of the public very respectful of the haka or of our Argentinian friends, it is fantastic and exceptional. Well done. Let's be proud of all that. I also had the impression, during this period, that French rugby wanted to show, collectively, another image of itself. But let's not hide our problems under the rug either. The values of rugby do not protect us from everything. And above all, let's not forget. We are also working on setting up a tribute to Medhi.
That's to say ?
It's still too early to talk about it. Simply, we are working with Medhi's family on a tribute.
What assessment do you make of the sporting results of the XV of France?
Finishing second in the 6 Nations Tournament with the World Cup to digest is a performance. It was done chaotically but it happened. Well done to the players and staff. The tour to Argentina demonstrated that the French XV no longer has 23 players but 45 or 50. Thanks to the quality relationships maintained with the National Rugby League and the clubs, we manage individual regeneration periods for the players. And then, this victorious autumn tour closed a year full of lessons. The results are therefore very good. As for rugby sevens or under-20s. A lot of work is being done by Jean-Marc Lhermet, the DTN and the high-performance cell. A second training course has just taken place in Toulon where all the staff of the 14 French teams were present. These new moments of sharing help everyone progress.
Electorally, the results were also very favorable to you since you were largely re-elected at the head of the FFR and you won following the regional elections…
It is the fruit of eight years of work with “Ovale ensemble”. All battles are won locally. After a year of presidency, in the form of cohabitation in a minority and with only three metropolitan leagues out of thirteen in support, we now have the tools in hand to move forward. We launched our plan to revive rugby from the grassroots, particularly around the retention of licensees and the creation of rugby school branches. We have the plan for 35,000 balloons in 35,000 schools that the departmental committees are starting to disseminate. The facilities plan also started with 20 million euros invested: 207 clubs received 47,000 euros on average via their communities. We have launched a new plan for the development of women's rugby which benefits from increasing media coverage with matches broadcast on Canal +. We planted seeds, it must grow now. Our black spot is finances. It's catastrophic. Each day that passes makes us fear a little more about receiving bad news about the results of France 2023 once again. I am afraid that we are not at the end of our surprises.
That's to say ?
Clearly, it could be worse than the 36 million losses announced recently. Certainly, we have a recovery plan for the FFR, but we still need to know in what sauce we will be eaten by France 2023. We are 55% shareholders of the GIE. However, if the GIE were to lose more than 36 million euros, we would still have to pay 55% of the loss. Today, we therefore have to pay 19 million euros. But if tomorrow the deficit reaches 50 million euros, we will pay 26. It's a catastrophe. Finances are our biggest project.
2025 is approaching, what will be the objectives of the XV of France?
Victories, victories and victories (laughs). My subject is not to give objectives, that would be absurd: I don't know a coach, nor a single player who doesn't want to win. For a federation president, giving the coach an objective makes no sense. My job is to ensure that everyone works to win, to put the right people in the right positions. This is why I put Jean-Marc Lhermet at the high level, why Sylvain Deroeux takes care of the government and the anti-violence plan, a factor in increasing the number of licensees, why Clotilde Delbos and Claude Hélias manage the construction site of the cash… Results are the consequence of work. I don't have any other rules.
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