TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE chief executive Cedric Garcia has hit back at reports that his club is facing a deficit of just over £250,000.
A report in French publication La Depeche claimed that the French club had been experiencing “serious financial difficulties for a number of years” following their relegation from Super League at the end of the 2022 season.
Amongst the article, it was reported that Toulouse City Council were set to reduce the amount of money given to professional sports clubs – Toulouse Olympique, Stade Toulousain of the Top 14 in rugby union and Toulouse FC, who play in the top tier of French football, Ligue 1.
Going even further, La Depeche then went on to claim that Toulouse Olympique are ‘surviving’ off public subsidies and the commitment of sponsors.
Now, Garcia has hit back with a powerful response.
“This article is full of lies. My chairman is furious because he never spoke to this journalist,” Garcia told League Express.
“The only truth is that the City Council grant will 20% lower for all professional sports clubs in Toulouse.”
In the IMG rankings given to clubs last month, Toulouse made it to 13th position with a score of 13.58 – just 0.39 points behind the last-placed Super League side Salford Red Devils.
Olympique’s head coach, Sylvain Houles, had previously told League Express that Toulouse should have been reinstated in Super League for 2025 regardless of their IMG score.
Houles told League Express: “As a coach I feel the players’ frustration that promotion and relegation has been taken out of their hands; it’s a bit weird but as a club we have tackled the issue head-on.
“It’s frustrating and a bit sad that the major decisions will be taken away from the sports field. But with everything this club does, I really believe it should be in Super League. There has been so much growth and it is gathering momentum; the network that the club is creating in this city is fantastic.
“We talk about potential and it is genuinely unlimited here, not just for Super League, for France or for Europe, it’s for the entire game. This club currently represents the biggest city in professional Rugby League. Toulouse staying in the Championship won’t help anyone.”
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