The supporters soon to be shareholders of the club?

Mathieu WARNIER, Media365: published on Monday, September 20, 2021 at 8:30 p.m.

While Stade Toulousain plans to increase its capital after the crisis, Didier Lacroix has opened the door for supporters to enter.

Will Stade Toulousain offer its supporters to become a shareholder? While the club crowned champion of France concluded the 2020-2021 season “just in balance” via the aid offered to deal with the crisis and despite loans to be repaid, Didier Lacroix recently broached the subject at the occasion of the club’s back-to-school press conference. “Nothing is decided, but we are considering a recapitalization of the club to strengthen equity, then said the club boss. Perhaps we will also ask ourselves the question of ‘socios’ and public shareholding. However, the Stade Toulousain is coming out of a season made economically complicated because of the closed session that was required during most of the matches played at the Stade Ernest-Wallon. It is to this end that Didier Lacroix hopes to bring into the capital of new investors who could therefore be directly the supporters.

Lacroix wants “a strong Stade Toulousain”

At present, the capital of Stade Toulousain is divided between the club association (48%), the association “Les Amis du Stade Toulousain” (25%), which also owns the Stade Ernest-Wallon, but also one of the main partners of the club, the company Fiducial (12%) when the rest is held by small holders. However, an entry by supporters as part of a recapitalization of the club must be made with a lot of thought and Didier Lacroix ensures that he is in full reflection. “We must think about the mode of governance that results from it, the rights that are granted, admits the boss of the club in comments collected by the local daily. La Dépêche du Midi. This reflection is necessary, in order to have a strong Stade Toulousain, with equity capital that can be strengthened when things are going well. Hoping that this will be the case for a long time, but also to prepare for the hard knocks to come. “Such an operation will allow the Stade Toulousain above all to continue to compete economically with clubs such as Montpellier, Toulon or Racing 92, which can rely on a strong shareholder.

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