TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE lit up Super League in 2022, providing the top flight with a French derby, fanatical fans and another exciting away day.
Despite that, the French club failed on the field, succumbing to relegation after being rooted to the bottom of the Super League table for most of the season.
For chief executive, Cedric Garcia, it was a painful event but one which the club is getting over.
“Relegation was tough on and off the field but now we have passed that,” Garcia told League Express.
“We took it as a new chapter and cycle of our club, we decided to renew the squad in-depth with younger players and working more than ever with our academy.
“Obviously, we have lost two on the road and it’s always difficult to travel with a young team but we feel like the guys are progressing and the team spirit is fantastic. We are happy where we are.”
Should Toulouse have been exempt from relegation in Super League?
“If you ask me that of course I will say yes. The thing is that it is really difficult to get promoted and stay there.
“The best example of that is Catalans. They had three years of initial exemption and then there was three years of franchising so they had six years without relegation.
“Where they are right now shows that they have been given the time to improve step by step and become a regular play-off Super League team.
“Whether it’s Toulouse or another club, it’s difficult because the standard is very high. We had different things happen to us over the season, starting with the loss of our two key players (Johnathon Ford and Mark Kheirallah) on which we had built pretty much the team over the last ten years.
“I believe that the step is so high that something needs to be done and it is what IMG plans to do.”
