“My teams are my family”: Saint-Étienne owner Larry Tanenbaum talks about his passion for sport
Visiting Saint-Étienne this weekend, the new owner of Les Verts, Larry Tanenbaum, spoke of his enthusiasm for ASSE and sport in general: the Canadian billionaire considers his teams to be an integral part of his existence.
In just over forty-eight hours, 79-year-old Larry Tanenbaum didn’t have much time to dawdle during his stay in Saint-Étienne this weekend. On Saturday morning, the powerful owner of ASSE, whose fortune is estimated at 2.3 billion euros, met with the players and staff before watching the women’s first half against Dijon (0-2). He then visited Geoffroy-Guichard and, accompanied by his wife Judy, was introduced to the fans a few minutes before the start of the match against Lens (0-2).
On Sunday, he was at L’Etrat, where he attended the wheelchair soccer team’s training session, before finishing his tour with a visit to the Les Verts museum. The day before, for exactly thirty-two minutes, he told us how proud he was to be writing a new page in the history of ASSE, just under five months after his takeover of the club.
“Where does that incredible jacket you’re wearing come from?
(He laughs.) First of all, I’m very proud of it. Especially because it was made by a very close friend of mine, who founded the Roots brand in 1973, which is very well known in North America. His jackets are worn by all our teams. And he’s called Green, Don Green. Isn’t that incredible? We were watching an ASSE match together, and he said to me: I’ve got to make you a jacket. I received it two days ago (Thursday). It’s got the club logo on the back and “2024” on the sleeve, symbolizing our arrival at AS Saint-Etienne.
What prompted you to invest in ASSE?
Saint-Étienne has all the characteristics you’d expect from a sports team. I know how important history is in sport. I own a field hockey team that’s 108 years old (Toronto Maple Leafs), another in the Canadian American Football League that’s 150 years old (Argonauts). So I understand the history of AS Saint-Etienne, which is 92 years old. I know what the club here means to all its supporters.
How did the negotiations go with Roland Romeyer and Bernard Caïazzo?
First of all, we have a lot of respect for Bernard and Roland, with whom I’ve enjoyed working. You have to understand that someone like Roland, who has devoted twenty years of his life to this club, was at an important moment for him, and we were fully aware of that. When we talk about a club, we’re talking about something that’s alive, something real, a team, a team with people. And I think Roland and Bernard will tell you one day, but we were right.
Does AS Saint-Etienne embody all the values you love in sport?
Absolutely. There’s passion here. And a huge fan base with incredible loyalty. It doesn’t get any better than that. After that, the fans want the team to perform. And for that, with Ivan (Gazidis, club president), Huss (Fahmy), Jason (Rosenfeld, representative of the shareholder, like Fahmy) but also all the people, like Jeff (Jean-François Soucasse, general manager) who were already at the club, we have an excellent team. And I’m not forgetting the coach, who’s doing an excellent job.
You have three children, but do you think of your teams as your babies?
(He laughs.) My wife Judy (present at his side) would tell you, there’s nothing more important than family. And our teams are part of our family. That’s really how we feel. Last week, we had our field hockey team over for dinner, and the week before that, our basketball team, the Toronto Raptors (NBA). We welcomed them like family. We’ll do the same here in Saint-Etienne.
What are your dreams for Les Verts?
I don’t think dreams are going to get us anywhere. We want to continue building on a club that already has a long history. We want to establish a culture of winning, while accepting that there will be ups and downs. I’ve already experienced that with my other teams. I waited twenty years to see Toronto Football Club win MLS in 2017. And in the last three or four years, it’s become more difficult. You have to be patient to become great again. A club like ASSE is destined to win titles. You have to build that up step by step, over time.
Has sport always been part of your life?
As a businessman, we’ve built stadiums, but I’ve always loved sport. My wife and I watch over 200 matches a year in all sports. I’ve been asked which sport I prefer, but I love them all. We’re lucky enough to be involved in sport at the highest level, where the talent and dedication of men and women capable of reaching that level are combined. I now watch every Saint-Etienne match, and soccer is a sport to which we are totally attached.
Do you want to leave your mark here at Saint-Etienne?
There’s the club of course, but I really want to contribute something and be part of the community. We’re going to see what we can do with our charitable foundation, which my daughter runs. I have ideas in the field of medicine and health sciences. Tomorrow (Sunday), I’m meeting Olivier Bossard, the General Manager of the Saint-Etienne University Hospital, who is doing excellent work with the IRMIS (Institut régional de médecine et d’ingénierie du sport). They have expertise in surgical robotics. So I want to establish a link.
You’re about to discover Geoffroy-Guichard. Is it conceivable that you could buy it?
In Canada, we’ve often started from scratch. We built our stadiums and created some of our teams. Here, it’s not the same context. Saint-Étienne Métropole takes really good care of it. In fact, the pitch is impeccable.
Are you aware of the derby and the historic rivalry with Lyon?
(He knocks his fists together.) I have friends from Lyon in Canada who said to me “how could you do that?” when they heard about the purchase of the club. One of them never wears green. Yes, of course, I’m well aware of this rivalry, it’s a strong part of the culture of the club and the city.
Does it matter to you that Ligue 1 isn’t a closed league like American sports?
Not really, in fact it’s a good thing. Yes, it creates vulnerability; there are more risks in European soccer. So the atmosphere is more tense. Everything goes up a notch. But go and see a Maple Leafs field hockey game and you’ll tell me if there’s no tension and pressure there. There may not be relegation, but there are always wins and losses.”
Larry Tanenbaum: “ASSE, like my other clubs, is part of my family”
For his first visit to Saint-Etienne, Larry Tanenbaum (79), owner of Les Verts since June, gave an interview to Le Progrès before the match against Lens. The Kilmer Sport boss shares his sincere love of sport and his ambition for ASSE, which he wants to grow step by step.
Like a child, Larry Tanenbaum and his unique jacket adorned with an XXL ASSE logo on the back, is enjoying the moment. On the Geoffroy-Guichard pitch on Saturday before the 0-2 defeat by Lens, the club’s owner since June received a standing ovation from a stadium already ablaze. A few minutes earlier, the atmosphere was more subdued but relaxed in his presidential “dressing room” located just a few metres from the players’ changing rooms.
The Kilmer Sport boss, who rarely appears in the media, is nonetheless prolix, and it would have taken more than the half-hour he gave to Le Progrès, watched by his wife Judy, as well as Ivan Gazidis, Huss Fahmy and Jaeson Rosenfeld, to dissect 79 years of a busy life. Sitting on one of the sofas, the “King of Toronto” still had time to proclaim his love of sport and the field hockey, basketball and soccer clubs he owns on the other side of the Atlantic. For his first visit to Le Forez, the Canadian businessman’s agenda was “timed” to the minute: a visit to the Robert-Herbin Center, the Museum, a meeting with employees, a women’s match at the Stade Salif-Keita, training for the wheelchair soccer team… All to his great delight.
Tell us about your jacket.
“(He laughs). I’m very proud of it. A friend of my wife Judy is the founder of Roots, a well-known North American clothing brand. Do you know his name? Don Green, you can’t make it up! He knew I was going to Saint-Étienne, and while we were watching an ASSE match together, he said to me: “I’ve got to make you a jacket.” He already makes them for every team we own. Did you see the back? (He stands up to show the huge ASSE logo). It’s a unique model and it’s not for sale. But I met the team earlier today and promised them that if one day we won a title, everyone would have this jacket (laughs).”
You’ve owned ASSE since June. When did you decide to invest in the club?
“I own a field hockey team (the Toronto Maple Leafs, editor’s note) that is over a hundred years old and has millions of fans, as well as an American soccer team with a 150-year history, and I also own Coca-Cola Canada. These are historic institutions with strong values. When Ivan (Gazidis) told me about ASSE and its history, I immediately said ‘OK’.
Why do you ask?
“Because Saint-Étienne represents everything I love about sport: passion, incredible supporters and values that I hold dear. Here, the public knows soccer and wants to see a team that plays well and performs. That’s our intention, and for that we have excellent managers in whom I have total confidence: Huss (Fahmy), Jaeson (Rosenfeld), Ivan (Gazidis), Jean-François Soucasse, the coach (Olivier Dall’Oglio, NDLR)… All the people I’ve met are wonderful and great professionals.”
How did the negotiations go with Roland Romeyer and Bernard Caïazzo?
“They went very well! We have a lot of respect for them. I’m aware of everything they’ve given to ASSE over the last twenty years, so it was a very special moment for them, and I understand that perfectly. We managed to come to an agreement, and we are fully aware of our responsibility in committing ourselves to this historic club.”
What are your dreams for Saint-Étienne?
“We want to continue to write the club’s history, with a culture of winning. As with all clubs, there will be ups and downs, but that’s part of any project. We won MLS with Toronto in 2017, but the next four years were more complicated. We always want to win, but winning a title is never easy, which is why we have to take it step by step. It’s a long-term job. A club like ASSE is destined to win titles. We’re going to do everything we can to make that happen, even if it won’t be easy, and it’s a step-by-step, long-term process.”
In Canada, you own your stadiums. Is it conceivable that you could one day buy Geoffroy- Guichard?
“It’s different because in Canada, we’ve built stadiums to meet the needs of our teams. Here, it’s different because it already exists and Saint-Étienne Métropole takes really good care of it. The pitch is superb.
In North America, leagues are closed, whereas in France, there’s a system of promotion and relegation. Does this affect your strategy?
“It’s a real challenge, as we saw last year with ASSE’s return to Ligue 1. But I don’t think it has any impact on the way we operate compared to what we can do with our teams in Canada.”
You seem to have great confidence in your managers. Do they have carte blanche or do they follow your guidelines?
“I’ve known Ivan (Gazidis) for over twenty years. He was part of the founding team of MLS before moving on to Arsenal and then AC Milan. Despite the distance, we’re constantly in touch. Our working relationship is excellent, and ideas come from everyone. Even if I’m not on site, I hear from the club every day.”
How would you define your management style?
“I know the players in my teams, even though I don’t manage them. I have a special relationship with them because after matches, I go into the changing rooms and talk to them. I shake their hands and ask how their families are doing. That’s important to me.”
How long do you plan to stay with the club?
“Everyone has said that I came here for the long term, and that’s true. But I don’t have a deadline. Maybe God has one for me (laughs). We take each day as it comes, with the aim of constantly improving. That’s the way I see it.”
Do you consider all your clubs to be your babies?
“Judy can confirm that family is the most important thing to us. And our clubs are part of it. A week ago, we had dinner at my house with our field hockey team, and a fortnight before that, we hosted the Toronto Raptors basketball players. We welcome them like members of our family, and we want to do the same here in Saint-Étienne.”
When did you decide to invest in sport?
“Originally, it was linked to my construction business. We built bridges, buildings, dams… And in 1972, we had a project to build a stadium for an NFL team wishing to establish itself in Canada, but it didn’t happen in the end. In 1990, the Denver Nuggets came to see me because they were ready to move if we built a new stadium. I agreed, but in return I wanted to become a majority shareholder in the franchise. In the end, the project didn’t go ahead for various reasons, but I was then given the opportunity to found the NBA’s 28th franchise, in Toronto. They chose another project, which ultimately didn’t work out, and two years later I was able to buy back the franchise, and we’ve been growing it ever since, creating links between field hockey, a sport well established in Canada, and basketball, which was much smaller in the country at the time.”
What’s your favorite sport?
“My wife and I watch over 200 matches a year. We’re crazy about sport and everyone asks me which one I prefer. In fact, they’re like my children: I love them all equally. I’m always amazed at the level that sportsmen and women can reach, their performances really impress me.”
You have three children. Are they involved with Kilmer?
“Yes, my son is Executive Chairman of Coca-Cola Canada and heads up our development company. One of my daughters is in charge of our philanthropic foundation – and I’m actually planning to do something in Saint-Étienne. I’m very interested in medicine, and this Sunday I’m going to meet Olivier Bossard, Director General of the CHU de Saint-Etienne, who is doing excellent work with Irmis (L’institut régional de médecine et d’ingénierie du sport). They have real expertise in robotics and research.”