An investigation by L'Équipe questions image rights contracts signed by Antoine Dupont and Anthony Jelonch with a Stade Toulousain sponsor, without actual use of their images. These deals allowed the players to receive substantial payments, raising concerns about compliance with the salary cap. The Toulouse club, previously involved in other cases, has not responded immediately.
The investigation published on Monday by the newspaper L'Équipe uncovers potential irregularities in image rights contracts signed by two Stade Toulousain internationals, Antoine Dupont and Anthony Jelonch, with the company 3S-Alyzia, a club sponsor specializing in airport services. According to the sports daily, these multi-year agreements did not result in any use of the players' images, yet they were handsomely compensated: over 1.5 million euros for Dupont through his company AD 9 Conseils, at 200,000 euros per season since joining the club, and 170,000 euros for Jelonch.
These payments raise questions about the salary cap, the wage ceiling imposed on Top 14 clubs, which includes not only salaries but also partner contributions. L'Équipe notes that using image rights instead of salaries helps avoid Urssaf contributions and income tax for players, while allowing the club to bypass budget limits. Additionally, the amounts received by Dupont for his ambassador role with Fiducial, another Toulouse sponsor, were reportedly not declared under this cap.
Stade Toulousain, France's most successful club and three-time defending Top 14 champion, is no stranger to such issues. Last spring, it paid 1.3 million euros to the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) as part of mediation over Melvyn Jaminet's 2022 transfer from Perpignan to Toulouse. In December, it received a two-point penalty for the current season following a disciplinary council decision. Contacted by L'Équipe, the club had not responded at the time of publication.
