On the eve of a semi-final of the Coupe de France in May, with the immutable family verve, Laurent Nicollin, president of Montpellier, launched in an interview with 20 minutes : “If we go to 18 clubs, I’m afraid we’ll see shitty matches. “ Almost a month later, the decision has just been taken.
By an overwhelming majority, the leaders of French professional clubs decided, Thursday, June 3, to validate the project of a tight elite. From the 2023-2024 season, Ligue 1 will go from 20 to 18 clubs. The relegation system is also changing: four clubs will descend from Ligue 1 and two will rise from Ligue 2.
Luc Arrondel, sports economist and research director at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), deciphers this project which is taking shape in a period of economic crisis for French football, marked by the pandemic and the Mediapro disaster.
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What is the economic situation of French football today?
He experienced a double shock, with the end of the championship last year and therefore the lack of income thanks to the ticket office. Then, the Mediapro tsunami, with the enormous losses linked to television rights. The clubs should have seen their revenues increase by 20 million euros, but they were never able to benefit from this sum which appeared in all the provisional budgets. Obviously, that destabilizes the institutions.
To understand the consequences of this crisis, we must wait for the reports of the DNCG [la direction nationale du contrôle de gestion, une commission indépendante chargée de surveiller les comptes des clubs de football professionnels]. Those for the 2019-2020 season have not yet been released, so these reports will give precise indications on the situation.
In view of the crisis situation, can we consider as logical the desire of the clubs to change the system?
It was time to reflect. And see beyond the consequences of the Covid-19 crisis. One could for example wonder why French football sells so badly abroad [BeIN Sports débourse pour cela la somme de 80 millions d’euros par an sur la période 2018-2024]. It’s minimal when compared to neighboring championships. It should also be noted that French football ensures its financial balance thanks to a positive transfer balance. Will this be the case in the years to come? I am not convinced, given that the market is truncated and slowed down by the crisis.
French football is in deficit in terms of its operating results. And a football that only holds up thanks to the transfer of players is not sustainable in terms of sporting results. The sporting aspect is also taken into account in this announcement of Ligue 1 to 18 clubs. The sad record of French clubs in European competitions – in addition to PSG, which appears to be an exception – also leads to questions about the system.
What is the interest for clubs with this transition to an elite at 18?
We are in a short-term vision, but rather simple: if you are less to share the cake, you eat a larger share. We have just gone from 1.2 billion euros to 680 million euros in television rights. Since the funding share is halved, it seems logical that the big guys push for this solution with two less clubs, since they will earn more money.
So the issue of television rights is the heart of the reactor?
Totally, and it will remain so until we know how they will be donated in the future. If the television rights are distributed evenly between the clubs, the small ones will certainly be able to limit the damage. But if we move towards an unequal distribution system, we can be sure that the big clubs will rejoice. Should we favor meritocracy? Or should the system be egalitarian? We have not yet heard too much from the club presidents. Neither the Professional Football League [LFP]. Wouldn’t it be time to create your own broadcasting channel? More innovative solutions must be found.
Canal + pushed for this Ligue 1 to 18 clubs. Why do broadcasters have such a strong influence in the construction of French football?
They have immense bargaining power here. From the moment Canal + is the only interlocutor of the LFP, that gives it a huge advantage. And if there is only Canal + which is ready to put money to broadcast Ligue 1 – and again, the channel only wants to broadcast two posters – we find ourselves in an unpleasant monopoly situation for the LFP. The argument of the attractiveness of the championship is easy to put forward for Canal +: if your championship has fewer days, you reduce the number of “boring” matches. We know that it is only the posters at the top of the ranking that interest the broadcaster.
Does the failure of Mediapro have an influence in this desire of Canal +?
It is a strong argument. They use this fiasco to show the LFP that the choice was wrong. They even took a threatening stance, claiming they could withdraw from the French football supply altogether if costs were not lowered. It is a tour de force but without too much violence. And we saw it coming.
In sporting terms, what could be the impact of this move to 18 clubs?
The objective remains to promote this Ligue 1, to make it attractive for foreign markets and more competitive. Certainly also to try to improve the performance of French clubs in European competitions. During the period 1997-2002, with the Division 1 to 18 clubs, three French clubs (Marseille, Monaco and Lens) reached the last European square. But teams like Sedan or Gueugnon did not succeed in the UEFA Cup (elimination in the first round, in 2001 and 2002 respectively). So we don’t have any truth here.
Maybe policymakers will use these arguments, but they won’t convince everyone. A lighter schedule will certainly allow French clubs to perform better. However, the LFP must think of a reform of all French football, also including the National [du troisième au cinquième niveau dans le système de classement]. And not just focus on the number of clubs.
