Graille out?

[fishbiproduct]

According to L'Equipe, he is:
http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/20050502_080730Dev.html

And from Eurosport:
"PSG to show Graille the door:

Paris St Germain president Francis Graille will be dismissed by the club's board on Monday afternoon, according to newspaper reports. The reports in the sports daily L'Equipe and Le Parisien said Graille would be replaced by Pierre Blayau or Alexandre Bompard"
http://www.eurosport.com/home/pages/v4/l0/s22/e6874/sport_lng0_spo22_evt6874_sto714078.shtml


That's what a lot of PSG fans were hoping for,
am I right?

[Nanbawan]

Mmmh, that would explain his not so kind words concerning PSG fans yesterday in 'Stade 2', stating that he was happy to harbour rugby fans in the PdP rather than football fans...Which sounded a bit strange to me. I mean, he could have said he liked rugby fans without doing the comparison with the ones of his own club....

Funny to see how the public channels are getting 'beni oui oui' at everything...

[Mel Brennan]

PSG president Graille is dismissed (http://edition.cnn.com/2005/SPORT/football/05/02/france.president )

PARIS, France -- Paris St Germain president Francis Graille has been dismissed by the club's owners, cable television company Canal Plus, and replaced by Pierre Blayau.

Canal Plus said: "The group did not wish to carry on with Francis Graille's takeover plan of the club."

Blayau, a former president of Stade Rennes from 1998-2000, is head of transport firm Geodis and ex-chief executive of the Moulinex electrical goods company...

...The Canal Plus statement said: "Canal Plus put an end to Francis Graille's spell as head of PSG. The company did not agree with the plans laid out by Francis Graille, who wanted to become a shareholder in PSG.

"The Company would like to thank Francis Graille for all his work while at the helm of PSG..."

...Canal Plus have proposed a new team of directors with Blayau as president. They said that his priorities would be preparing for next season.

"Canal Plus also intends to continue to assume its responsibilities with regards to the club and to give it a new freshness," their statement added.

[gaijin]

Mixed emotions, but overall delighted. I am happy to see the back of him, but then again he did alot for the club.

His tenure, in which he signed players like Ronaldinho to his vendetta against the fans when things weren't going well both on and off the pitch, outraged many, and I know alot of people will be happy to see the back of him.

It's what alot of fans wanted, and it looks as if it was only due to extreme pressure that he got his arse in gear and started to try and make amends.

But it was too late for me. I think with his comments mid-season and his some of his outrageous club policies, meant his time was up.

It was a case of when rather than if, the Canal+ directors were planning this for weeks. Let's just hope we can get someone in, to stabilize the club, so we can be freshly prepared for next season.

At last the Parc and the ultras can go back doing what they do best - making the PdP the best sporting arena in France. :cool:

[Nanbawan]

I knew Blayau sounded familiar, he's a former Rennes* prez...Bon courage les gars !

*BTW : Meheut, Canal+ CEO studied in the same High school as Le Lay (CEO of TF1), Lycée St-Vincent in Rennes...Talk about a Rennese mafia... :D

[Mel Brennan]

From here (http://www.sportinglife.com/football/overseas/france/news/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=international_feed/05/05/02/SOCCER_Fra-Paris_St_Germain_Nightlead.html):

...The news of Blayau's arrival in the capital has also increased speculation that Lyon's former Rennes coach Paul le Guen could join Blayau at PSG during the summer, but Blayau claims he has not made a deal with anyone yet.

"Paul (le Guen) is a friend, and he has an exceptional future ahead of him, but it is necessary that PSG finish this season as it is," Blayau told a press conference on Monday.

"I have to consider Laurent Fournier's situation and I want to know his project and see how PSG finish the season.

"There will be not any contact with Paul, and I await the end of the season."

Blayau also declared that he needs to meet fans' representatives to clear the "polluted" environment at the club, following the sudden changes.

"I want to meet the presidents of the associations of supporters as quickly as possible," he added.

"I think that the environment has been polluted and that it is really necessary to act.

"I learned a lot at Rennes, where there were highs and lows, and that will serve me well here."

Earlier in the day, Fournier refused to comment on his uncertain future at the club.

"I am only thinking about (Saturday's game with) Lille," said Fournier.

"There are four games left and we could still qualify for the UEFA Cup or the Intertoto Cup.

"My future is not a concern. We will see if we can improve and we are training as normal, so all is well."

Some of the players, however, are clearly not convinced by the sudden change in personnel.

Defender Bernard Mendy said: "Francis Graille and Vahid Halilhodzic were stabilising the club. Vahid went and now so has Graille.

"I hope that with the new president, things can be stabilised. But if things are changed all the time, that does not do anything."

Goalkeeper Lionel Letizi was even more forthright in his opinion of the change.

"It is strange," he told www.lequipe.fr.

"Francis Graille seemed motivated to get PSG out of their rut, with a serious project.

"I am disappointed for him."

[gaijin]

Odd. Le Guen's name crops up again...

He would be the ideal choice, as well as screwing Lyon over too.

[SportBoy333]

Le Guen goes to PSG, Dechamps goes to Lyon, and Puel goes to Monaco. How about that scenario ?

[gaijin]

Nah.

[SportBoy333]

Nah.

Why not ? If you were Dechamps wouldn't you rather go to Lyon instead of Manchester City or Valencia ? He's still a young manager he has plenty of time to go abroad. You think Puel would turn down the Monaco job ?

[gaijin]

Yes, he would.

I don't think he could forgive Monaco for how they treated him....

A former coach going back, and I mean he wasn't an amazing success at Monaco either. I doubt the fans would approve of the appointment.

[SportBoy333]

Well I would bet you all the money in my pocket right now that he would take the Monaco job if offered but you said I had none :-( When Prince Rainier died Puel had nothing but glowing things to say about him and expressed great adualtion and graditude. Monaco is a bigger club than Lille so he'd be stupid to turn it down. As for Monaco's fan's not wanting him back. What fans ? LOL. I'm sure they'd take him back after seeing what he did for Lille.

[gaijin]

I think taking his comments after Prince Rainer's death shouldn't be taken as he is defintely wanting to go to Monaco.

He was merely being gratutious and respectful.

Trust me, its not about the fans, it's about the board of directors who sacked him. Resinging him, would make them look stupid - and they don't want to seem that they have to go crawlng back to man they sacked.

[Catfish]

Any change at the top is welcomed by me. Bring in a new attitude. I mean come on, this is PSG....like in Paris, 1 of the biggest and richest cities in Europe and they mediocre. The Luvre is run better than PSG!