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Billionaire investors' takeover of Beziers expected 'in the next few days' after Paris meeting

By Ian Cameron
Christophe Dominici is brokering the deal (Photo by liewig christian/Corbis via Getty Images)

The takeover of AS Béziers Hérault by billionaire UAE investors is set to go ahead ‘in the next few days’ according to the ProD2 club. The club held a ‘constructive’ meeting in Paris with the new investors, whose plan to invest in the side could set in train a major power shift in the French game.

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Many are tipping Béziers to become a new giant of French rugby over the course of the next decade, should the takeover deal go ahead. French winger Christophe Dominici has been acting as a middle man between the party, and according to the club, ownership could change hands ‘in the next few days’.

Should the deal go ahead, Béziers will almost immediately become a major heavy hitter in the global player market place. Already they have been linked with Beauden Barrett, Ma’a Nonu, Dan Biggar and Benjamin Fall, the latter of whom is said to already said yes to the blue and reds, provided the Emiratis’ takeover goes ahead.

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The LNR salary cap is currently set at €11.3 million, with an extra €200,000 allowed per French international, which works out at an average of €275,000 per player in a 40 man squad.  A major cash injection from their new investors could see them blow their ProD2 opponents out of the proverbial water in terms of buying power, in a bid to win promotion to the Top 14.

According to a club statement, the two parties met in Paris to discuss the future of the once-mighty club, “in a peaceful and constructive climate”. During this meeting, the current shareholders were reassured about the authenticity of the UAE based investors and their “financial capacity”.

The club presented their own accounts which passed muster, despite the debt the team has amounted. The two parties have now sought advice in order to draft a memorandum of understanding, before entering into a “period of exclusivity”.

The club have also confirmed the departure of the club’s majority shareholder, Louis-Pierre Angelotti, from the negotiations. Angelotti had been on the receiving end of ‘threats and hateful words’ in ‘the past few days’ and has now given up on his own, alternative takeover and recovery plan for the club. In a press release, he claimed he had “suffered serious insults and unacceptable and unbearable threats”.

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Angelotti, whose group has sponsored the club for 20 years, had sought out former Toulouse president René Bouscatel, to help in him with his new vision for the club. He has now stepped away from his support of the club.

Béziers have won eleven French championship titles since its establishment in 1911, but have fallen down the tables in recent years, even facing the ignominy of relegation to the Federale 1 at the end of 2008-09 season. They stand at 9th in the ProD2 and face a complete overhaul if they want to win relegation form the super-competitive second division, which currently includes the likes of Grenoble, Biarritz, Perpignan and Colomiers.

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Bull Shark 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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