160 million euros. This is the amount of losses recorded by the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs during the 2018-2019 season. Each year, the National Directorate of Management Control (DNCG) publishes a report detailing the financial results of professional football clubs. Although down fifteen million euros compared to the previous season, the accumulated deficit of clubs remains significant. However, no less than fifteen Ligue 1 clubs have accounts in the green.
Among the five deficit clubs of the elite, three show particularly negative results: Olympique de Marseille (-91.4 million euros), Lille (-66.6 million euros) and Bordeaux (-25, 7 million euros), or more than 180 million euros to the three of them. An observation that Bernard Caïazzo wants to moderate: "These three clubs are financially strong, explains to World the president of AS Saint-Etienne and boss of Premier League, union of Ligue 1 clubs. From an accounting point of view, OM has no deficit since the shareholder fills it himself with equity. "
For the dolphin of the last season of Ligue 1, the problem is more on the calendar: "The Losc asked for a month delay to close its accounts which were actually in deficit on June 30, 2019. As of July 31, they were slightly in surplus thanks to transfers so we can consider that the accumulated losses amount to less than 100 million euros in reality. "
An uncertain horizon
During the 2017-2018 season, the transfer window had come close to a billion euros thanks to the transfer of Kylian Mbappé from AS Monaco to Paris-Saint-Germain. Jean-Marc Mickeler, president of the DNCG, believes that this market "Stays at a very good level" for the 2018-2019 financial year (at 740 million euros) and evokes a "High share of player transfers in club activity". An opinion shared by Bernard Caïazzo even if he puts forward another even more important source of income for clubs: "TV rights will increase by 400 million euros for the period 2020-2024, so that forecasts for the current year show an increase in the clubs' financial results. "
A use of the imperfect justified by the new context of uncertainty linked to the coronavirus, which pushed, Friday March 13, the Professional football League to suspend the championships of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. "Even if the lights were still green a short time ago, you shouldn't think you are rich in the current situation. Today, I consider that the DNCG is right to put forward certain negative points because the sky has darkened and extreme caution is required ", analyzes Bernard Caïazzo who recalls that all sectors of the economy are affected, football being no exception.
Despite the circumstances, the president of ASSE finds a source of satisfaction: "Saint-Etienne is the only club in France to have followed ten years in the green", he boasts. With a positive balance of half a million euros last season, the Greens remain far from the defending champion whose surplus peaks at 27 million euros: "For French clubs, it is impossible to approach the level of financial power of PSG", puts Bernard Caïazzo into perspective.
