It was time for radio silence and disarray in the football world on Thursday, October 8. Already very affected by the Covid-19 crisis, which greatly reduces their revenues, French professional football clubs can only worry after the statements of Jaume Roures. The founder of Mediapro, holder of the broadcasting rights for the French championship, for the seasons 2020 to 2024, has not paid the 172 million euros in TV rights he owed on October 6 to the Professional Football League ( LFP), and let it be known, in an interview with The team, he wished “To discuss this season’s contract again”.
This announcement is a very bad omen as the Hispanic group, publisher of the new pay television channel, Téléfoot, has become the new financier of French football. In 2018, he blew up the bill for television rights, winning most of the championship to the detriment of Canal + and BeIN Sports for 780 million euros per year.
To avoid “The cacophony”, explains a club boss, the LFP, on which the pressure is strong, has forbidden clubs to speak publicly. Few have defied the ban. The president of Olympique de Marseille, Jacque-Henri Eyraud, who supported the arrival of Mediapro, says “Have full confidence in the management of the LFP to work in the interest of French football”.
“There is a League and a broadcaster who have signed a contract, it is up to them to manage this file. Everyone must stay in their place ”, comments for his part Claude Michy, president of Clermont and the Union of professional clubs, who analyzes the situation with fatality: “We are in a difficult global economic situation, so I do not see why in this context football would be protected. “
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Under cover of anonymity, tongues are loosened vis-à-vis Jaume Roures. “In the spring, he criticized Canal + and BeIN Sport, which did not regulate the rights [quand le championnat 2019-2020 avait été arrêté], ensuring that he always paid. We can see today that this is not the case. However, when you want to negotiate, you start by paying your bills ”, complains a historical figure of Ligue 1. “The Covid-19 crisis has a good back. The reality is that the Mediapro model was already strained. But the League and the clubs preferred not to see him ”, says another president.
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