The one who was one of the faces of the XV of France in the 2000s, today ambassador of the next World Cup, denied all irregularity on Saturday.
Mo12345lemonde with AFP
Two former French internationals are suspected of ticket traffic for the next rugby world cup, scheduled for the fall of 2023. Among them, Sébastien Chabal is suspected of having acquired a hundred places for the next World Cup which will take place in France. He denied the accusations on Saturday January 7.
According to information from the Parisian, confirmed by a source close to the investigation, the former third line (45, 62 selections between 2000 and 2011), competition ambassador, was able to buy a hundred tickets, bypass Thus the sales rules limiting the number of places per employee of the organizing committee. “Questions arise on the hypothesis of ticket traffic, but nothing is established at this stage,” said the source close to the investigation at AFP.
Also suspected of similar facts: the former rugby player Henri Micoch, project manager for the organization of the World Cup between 2017 and 2020. would have bought some 600 tickets, added the same source.
PNF survey
“Yes, I had privileged access to buy more tickets than it is possible to do by one person, due to my status as a France 2023 ambassador, reacted Sébastien Chabal In a press release transmitted to AFP. I did not have free or preferential rates. And no, I do not intend to make profits in these places. “. The ex-player of Lyon or Bourgoin-Jallieu rejects any accusation of ticket traffic. “It is obvious that these places cannot be sold by those who will benefit from it. It is just as unthinkable as they can be used for commercial operations.”
These purchases were discovered during searches carried out in November, in particular at the headquarters of the Public Interest Group (GIP) France 2023, responsible for organizing the Rugby World Cup. These searches were held within the framework of the investigation opened in October by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) targeting facts of favoritism, influence traffic and corruption, and entrusted to the gendarmes of the Paris research section.
This survey had been opened following a joint report of the General Inspectorate of Finance and the General Inspectorate of Education aimed at “Past Markets”, “Ticketing” and “The vehicles put to Provision “of the ex-general director of the GIP, Claude ATCHER. The latter was definitively revoked in October because of his managerial practices deemed brutal.