The departure of South African Heyneke Meyer, in office since the summer of 2018, was announced on Tuesday by the Ile de France club, the biggest budget of the championship of France, but currently ranked last.
"Heyneke Meyer is and will remain sporting director and head coach"said the Swiss billionaire of German origin on 7 November. Hans-Peter Wild, owner and president of Stade Français. Tuesday, November 12, the rugby club in the Paris region announced the dismissal of the South African, the former coach of the Springboks (2012-2015).
Sunday, November 10, the French Stadium was beaten by Racing (25-9) in the Paris Derby Top 14. This defeat was too much, while the club, the biggest budget of the championship of France (35 million euros), occupies the last place of the championship in the first third of the regular season: it is already 9 points behind the first non-relegable, Brive.
" My intention has always been to do what is best for this legendary club that is Stade Français, said Heyneke Meyer in a statement. With that in mind, today I am resigning as Sporting Director and Head Coach of the club. It has been an honor and a wonderful adventure to coach Stade Français; I enjoyed every day of my experience in Paris. "
Since his arrival in the summer of 2018, Heyneke Meyer was increasingly criticized for his minimalist game plan and his management of the team. At the end of Sunday's game, the group seemed cut in half.
"There are so many things to review, we are so deficient in some areas", said Captain Yoann Maestri. The opening half Morné Steyn, key man of the last title of champion of France, in 2015, who played Sunday his last match in France before returning to South Africa had dropped him with AFP: "Everyone is not on the same wavelength. Everyone does not pursue the same goals ».
The dismissal of Meyer balance an eventful period, marked last season by the successive departures of the coach Julien Dupuy, ex-historical player of the club, then at the end of the exercise of several executive players (Sergio Parisse, Djibril Camara, Alexandre Flanquart ). Others like the Jules Plisson opener, did not hide their frustration at their meager playing time, disappeared from the match sheets.
