Max Guazzini
Encyclopedia
Max Guazzini is a French entrepreneur and until June 2011 president of the Stade Français
rugby union
club of Paris
, who compete in the top division of rugby union in France
, the Top 14. Since arriving at Stade Français in the early 1990s, the club rose from the lower divisions of competition to become one of the most successful French rugby teams of the modern era.
Guazzini was born at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
, Alpes-Maritimes
, into a family of Italian origin (he also has an Italian passport). In 1982, he was the founder of a successful private music radio station called NRJ
, until he abandoned his seat as board member in 2004.
Guazzini aspired to bring back top-class rugby to the city of Paris, and in 1992 he took over Stade Français, who had been playing in the lower divisions of competition. The club was in the third division when he took over in 1992. He would later say “I want to build a club for Paris, for the people, of which it can be proud”. Together with his backing, the club merged with another Parsian team, the Comitie Athletic St Germain (CASG) in 1995, and with then head-coach Bernard Laporte
(later, becoming the head coach of France
) they rose rapidly up into the elite division of French rugby. By 1998 they had won the French championship, and completed a dramatic rise to glory in such a short period of time.
He is known for his eccentricity, and it was Guazzini's idea it was for Stade to play in pink kits. Over the years they have played in a variety of unusual, gawdy shirts including designs featuring lightning bolts, flowers, fluorescent pink tie-die and Andy Warhol inspired designs.
Guazzini scheduled a home fixture in 2005 against Stade Toulousain
at the national stadium, Stade de France
. The final attendance was 79,502, smashing the national attendance record for a league match in any sport by more than 20,000. Moments before the end of the match, Guazzini announced to the crowd that another fixture scheduled against Biarritz in March in 2006 would also be held at the stadium. The Stade-Biarritz match broke the attendance record from earlier in the season, with 79,604 attending.
In 2011, the club faced major financial issues due to the failure of an affiliated advertising company. Guazzini had announced a deal with a Canadian foundation and an unnamed outside investor to sell a controlling interest in the club, but the deal fell apart amid scandal, and Stade were threatened with a forced relegation into the country's amateur ranks. Guazzini eventually sold a controlling stake in the team to a group led by Jean-Pierre Savare, chairman of French security systems firm Oberthur Technologies
. As part of the deal, Guazzini stepped aside in favor of Savare's son Thomas, but will remain affiliated with the club as honorary president.
Stade Français Paris
Stade Français CASG is a French professional rugby union club based in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The club plays in the Top 14 domestic league in France and is one of the most successful French clubs of the modern era....
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, who compete in the top division of rugby union in France
Rugby union in France
Rugby union is the second most popular team sport in France, after association football, and is the dominant sport in most of the southern half of the country. It was first introduced in the early 1870s by British residents. Elite French clubs participate in the professional domestic club league,...
, the Top 14. Since arriving at Stade Français in the early 1990s, the club rose from the lower divisions of competition to become one of the most successful French rugby teams of the modern era.
Guazzini was born at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France between Monaco and Menton. The name was changed from Roquebrune to differentiate the town from Roquebrune-sur-Argens in the neighboring Var Department.-History:In pre-Roman times the area was settled by the...
, Alpes-Maritimes
Alpes-Maritimes
Alpes-Maritimes is a department in the extreme southeast corner of France.- History : was created by Octavian as a Roman military district in 14 BC, and became a full Roman province in the middle of the 1st century with its capital first at Cemenelum and subsequently at Embrun...
, into a family of Italian origin (he also has an Italian passport). In 1982, he was the founder of a successful private music radio station called NRJ
NRJ Radio
NRJ French multimedia group based in Paris. Since its foundation in 1981 as a French pop music radio station it has grown and evolved to become the NRJ Group...
, until he abandoned his seat as board member in 2004.
Guazzini aspired to bring back top-class rugby to the city of Paris, and in 1992 he took over Stade Français, who had been playing in the lower divisions of competition. The club was in the third division when he took over in 1992. He would later say “I want to build a club for Paris, for the people, of which it can be proud”. Together with his backing, the club merged with another Parsian team, the Comitie Athletic St Germain (CASG) in 1995, and with then head-coach Bernard Laporte
Bernard Laporte
Bernard Laporte is a rugby union coach and former French Secretary of State for Sport. He is currently the head coach at Toulon, having taken over in 2011 from Philippe Saint-André, who had been named the new head coach of the France national team. Laporte himself is a former head coach of France,...
(later, becoming the head coach of France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
) they rose rapidly up into the elite division of French rugby. By 1998 they had won the French championship, and completed a dramatic rise to glory in such a short period of time.
He is known for his eccentricity, and it was Guazzini's idea it was for Stade to play in pink kits. Over the years they have played in a variety of unusual, gawdy shirts including designs featuring lightning bolts, flowers, fluorescent pink tie-die and Andy Warhol inspired designs.
Guazzini scheduled a home fixture in 2005 against Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain
Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a French rugby union club from Toulouse in Midi-Pyrénées. Toulouse is one of the finest rugby clubs in Europe, having won the Heineken Cup four times – in 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2010. They were also runners-up in 2004 and 2008 against London Wasps...
at the national stadium, Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
. The final attendance was 79,502, smashing the national attendance record for a league match in any sport by more than 20,000. Moments before the end of the match, Guazzini announced to the crowd that another fixture scheduled against Biarritz in March in 2006 would also be held at the stadium. The Stade-Biarritz match broke the attendance record from earlier in the season, with 79,604 attending.
In 2011, the club faced major financial issues due to the failure of an affiliated advertising company. Guazzini had announced a deal with a Canadian foundation and an unnamed outside investor to sell a controlling interest in the club, but the deal fell apart amid scandal, and Stade were threatened with a forced relegation into the country's amateur ranks. Guazzini eventually sold a controlling stake in the team to a group led by Jean-Pierre Savare, chairman of French security systems firm Oberthur Technologies
Oberthur Technologies
Oberthur Technologies is a French secure technology company, providing security services in smart cards, printing, identity, and cash protection...
. As part of the deal, Guazzini stepped aside in favor of Savare's son Thomas, but will remain affiliated with the club as honorary president.