Montpellier boss threatens fines for Christmas weight gain
Frederic Hantz has advised his Montpellier players not to over-indulge over Christmas, unless they want a hefty fine when they return.
Montpellier players could be fined if they return from the Ligue 1 winter break overweight, their manager, Frederic Hantz, warned.
The Stade de la Mosson side finished a frustrating 2016 with a 1-0 defeat to Nantes last Thursday (AEDT) - a result that leaves it 11th in France's top flight.
Montpellier does not play again until 8 January but Hantz has made it clear that any gastronomic indiscipline during the Christmas holiday will not be treated lightly.
"The players were weighed before the break and will be fined €1 for every gram they have put on upon their return," he said on French radio. "One Euro per gram may not seem like a lot, but if one player puts on a kilogram, that's a thousand grams.
"I would be very careful. The fine might seem ridiculous but it could rise very quickly."
He added that the players would have nothing to worry about "if they pay attention to what they eat and go for two or three jogs" before returning to training.
Montpellier resumes action with a tough trip to Lyon in the Coupe de France, before taking on Dijon in Ligue 1 a week later.