“There is an urgent need to reform professional football” | EUROtoday

HASWhile the invoice referring to the group, administration and financing {of professional} sport was adopted by the Senate on June 10, 2025, unanimously minus one vote, its inclusion nonetheless doesn’t seem on the agenda of the National Assembly. This transpartisan textual content, nonetheless, advantages from broad assist: all political teams within the Senate, the varied sports activities ministers, the French National Olympic and Sports Committee, a big majority of sports activities federations {and professional} leagues, golf equipment, audiovisual broadcasters, and many others. All agree on a transparent prognosis and the necessity to act rapidly.

Since then, the state of affairs of French skilled soccer has continued to deteriorate. The funding fund CVC Capital Partners has famous the lower within the worth of its funding, whereas UEFA confirms, in its newest report, the monetary imbalance current between Ligue 1 golf equipment. Indeed, the golf equipment are going through a historic fall in audiovisual rights and revenues, aggravated by the huge piracy of sports activities broadcasts. Nearly one in 5 French folks watch sport illegally, and soccer represents half of those makes use of. And, everybody is aware of, in comparison with our European neighbors, the present instruments to struggle towards piracy are lower than par. The present financial mannequin is fragile, and every misplaced month accentuates monetary tensions.

Second wind

Added to this financial disaster is a governance disaster. Repeated tensions, conflicts of curiosity, dilution of duties and the opacity of sure selections have undermined belief. The resignation of Nicolas de Tavernost, head of LFP Media since April 2025, and the degraded relations throughout the League, but additionally with sure broadcasters, are an extra illustration of this.

The invoice adopted by the Senate is, nonetheless, the one solution to give it a second wind. It is a profitable technique that’s based mostly on concrete, balanced and anticipated measures. It strengthens the function of federations of their public service mission, regulates the governance of leagues and their business firms, fights towards conflicts of curiosity, caps sure remuneration, and eventually offers public authorities with efficient instruments to fight piracy in actual time. This textual content doesn’t intention to name into query the autonomy of the actors, it secures their relationships. The gamers are demanding it and the golf equipment see it as a lever for stability.

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