The pitiful events observed in Marseille on Sunday evening come at the worst time for the LFP, in the middle of a call for tenders for Ligue 1 TV rights.
The Professional Football League has already commented on the incidents which prevented the Olympico from taking place on Sunday evening at the Vélodrome. “ The League strongly condemns the incidentssays the general director of the LFP Arnaud Rouget. Now, condemning is the minimum, and that is not enough. We must act. Strong sanctions are needed. The most important thing is therefore to punish the guilty very harshly. In this matter, the League does not weaken. We are surely one of the most repressive authorities in Europe. (…) In this case, the incidents took place 500 meters from the stadium. This is not our responsibility. »
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For the LFP, the blow is severe as the call for tenders for Ligue 1 TV rights over the period 2024-2029 – until then unsuccessful – is underway, in a phase of over-the-counter negotiations. The appeal over the international rights of the elite must deliver its verdict on November 2 – and for the League which hoped to go from 82 million euros to 200 million per year for these rights alone, the backlash promises to be scathing. The Sun this Monday morning in England mentioned “ a disaster for Ligue 1 » ; Corriere dello Sport in Italy headlined “ a tragedy for the image of French football “. In Spain, AS goes further, deploring “ a bad image for a championship which experiences extra-sporting incidents almost every month. »
A highly valued poster
The impact is all the more unfortunate for the promotion of the French championship as this OM-OL is among the 10 so-called “premium” posters in a season – i.e. the ten priority choices which alone or almost justify the heavy investment broadcasters in lot number 1 concocted by the League for each call for tenders. A lot whose reserve price was 530 million euros for the 2024-2029 bracket. Certainly, the timing of these incidents is catastrophic for the LFP and the French clubs who expect a lot from this next round of TV rights.
