Mourad Boudjellal

Mourad Boudjellal (born 5 June 1960) is a french businessman, founder of Soleil Productions comic publishing and sport manager. He was born on June 5th, 1960 in Ollioules, near Toulon, on the French Riviera.

Mourad Boudjellal
Born (1960-06-05) 5 June 1960
Ollioules, France
NationalityFrench
OccupationBusinessman
Known forPresident of RC Toulonnais (2006-2020)

2006-2020: President of the Toulon Rugby Union Club (TRUC)

2006 Boudjellal brings the rugby team of his hometown to prominence[1] through attractive offers to rugby stars such as George Gregan, George Smith, Sonny Bill Williams[2][3] and Tana Umaga, and later Steffon Armitage, Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Mathieu Bastareaud, Bakkies Botha and Jonny Wilkinson. This has led British rugby commentator Martin Gillingham to call Toulon a "band of galacticos" (an obvious reference to Real Madrid's galáctico policy).[4]

Nonetheless, his tenure has seen tremendous commercial success for the club. ESPN irish rugby journalist Ian Moriarty remarked during the 2012–13 season:

« Boudjellal claimed earlier this season that the financial performance of the club meant he no longer needs to put his own cash in. Whatever you think about his penchant for throwing verbal grenades in the media from time to time, his management from a commercial point of view has been impressive. Toulon have increased their turnover by 500% during his tenure, allowing the club to spend right up to the limit of the salary cap. »[5]

Typical south french character

His time as a leader of TRUC has been "colorfull", due to the sometimes impetuous behaviour of quite a lot of people in southern France. This may especially lead any of them to excessive reactions, for example a particularly clear imaged vocabulary, which may offend any politically correct and civilzed citizen of any nation, independently from any consideration for intercultural awareness.

Most notably, he was sentenced to 130-days ban from Top 14 organizer LNR for the following "imaged" outburst after Toulon lost a match against Clermont-Ferrand on January 2012:[6]

« I had my first referee sodomy against Clermont in the semi-finals in 2010. I've just had my second tonight. It's supposed to hurt the first time but it hurts again this time. The images ought to be on YouPorn instead of YouTube. »[7]

References
  1. Arnaud Coudry (2008-01-21). "Toulon, la multinationale de la planète ovale". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  2. "Mourad Boudjellal wants to pay Sonny Bill Williams $3million". The Daily Telegraph. 2008-07-30. Archived from the original on September 17, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  3. Karl de Kroo and Jim Tucker (2008-08-01). "Sonny Bill Williams big money deal may not add up". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  4. Gillingham, Martin (2012-03-27). "Top 14: Toulon are the Galacticos of the rugby world". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2012-03-31. Retrieved 2012-06-06.
  5. Moriarty, Ian (2013-05-30). "Wilko and Toulon target rare double". ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 2013-05-30.
  6. Gillingham, Martin (2012-06-06). "The perfect finale". ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 2012-06-06.
  7. cf https://www.lefigaro.fr/le-scan-sport/buzz/2014/05/30/27002-20140530ARTFIG00177-les-10-provocations-de-mourad-boudjellal.php
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