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Interview: Developing the “coolest” club in France and scrapping the classic “French model” is an integral part of Toulouse FC's growth plan

Commoli

Alamy

Ex-Liverpool, Spurs and Fenerbahçe director of football Damien Comolli became chairman of Toulouse FC in July last year after US private investment firm RedBird Capital Partners took over the club.

"The fourth biggest city in France should be somewhere between the top six and top eight teams in Ligue 1,” he says.

When he started in his new role, Comolli wanted to understand the reason behind the decline of the club. The finding was alarming – and the 48-year-old is trying to rebuild what was broken.

The club has tried renovating the whole matchday experience for every fan from all generations and various backgrounds, who have been offered something new.

1 December 2021 - 2:24 PM

When Damien Comolli agreed to become chairman of Toulouse FC, he found a club that had lost touch with their community.

In July, 2020, US private investment firm RedBird Capital Partners announced it had acquired 85 per cent of the French club and named Comolli as chairman. Toulouse had just been relegated from Ligue 1 with a record-low number of points. Four out of the five previous seasons, the club had flirted with relegation.

Comolli wanted to find out what had gone wr

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