Disenchanted Marconnet ends Stade Francais love affair
Veteran French international prop Sylvain Marconnet brought an end to his successful 12 year stay at French rugby giants Stade Francais on Tuesday unhappy with the direction the club had taken.
The 35-year-old - capped 80 times - was released from his contract a year early and is likely to join another Top 14 side, Bayonne - who were fortunate not to be relegated last season after Montauban went down instead because of financial problems - or European Cup finalists Biarritz.
Marconnet - who won five French titles and appeared in two European Cup finals since joining from Grenoble in 1997 - had grown steadily unhappier as the past season lurched from one crisis to another.
Stade eventually finished in their lowest ever position of eighth and failing to qualify for next season's European Cup.
Marconnet said that the removal of close friend and former clubmate and fellow international Christophe Dominici earlier in the season as backs coach had hit him especially hard.
May 18, 2010
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