Top 14: Crisis brews at Stade Français, Laurent Labit removed from the sport

The information was revealed by L' Équipe , and confirmed by Midi Olympique. The sports director of Stade Français, Laurent Labit, will keep his position but will take a step back from the field. The Englishman Paul Gustard will move up a gear, becoming head coach of the Parisian club.

A change with nine days to go as the survival operation begins. By conceding their 11th defeat (24-6) of the Top 14 season (in 17 days) to Toulon on Saturday , the Pink Soldiers are on the verge of surrender. Last in the championship, tied on points with Vannes (28) and trailing, respectively, by 2 points by Perpignan and 3 by Racing 92. Nothing is lost as the fight to avoid relegation is tight (Montpellier and Pau, ^9th and ^10th with 34 points, are not safe either), but time is running out.

So the leaders acted, aware of the discontent at all levels. Ego quarrels within the staff, which led to Karim Ghezal being sacked at the end of September (and to bounce back with more success at Lyon since); discontent among the supporters who published a press release on Sunday evening calling for mobilisation and a "surge of pride"; discontent among the players who no longer find their way between the different voices of a staff in latent conflict, to the point of wondering who was the real leader.

On Sunday, the deputy president of Stade Français Paris, Thomas Lombard, brought together players and technical staff for a crisis meeting. According to L'Équipe, Laurent Labit presented his resignation there. Which was refused. He retains his duties as sporting director but will no longer coach the professional group, asked to take a step back and no longer intervene on the field.

It is the Englishman Paul Gustard, appointed head coach after the departure of Karim Ghezal, who recovers all these prerogatives: tactical choices and team composition. Now alone in charge to try to save the club with 14 Brennus shields from relegation to Pro D2. The survival operation begins next Saturday, at the start of the ^18th day of Top 14 and the reception of a Stade Rochelais also struggling in recent weeks.

According to Midi Olympique, this reorganization – Gustard assisted by Julien Tastet and Morgan Parra (both of whom have already been announced as leaving at the end of the season) – will be perpetuated in the event of a victory against La Rochelle. A new failure could lead to more radical changes for the rest of the season.