Between Pierre Ménès and Daniel Riolo, tensions have long animated the debates of the French sports media landscape. The first, ex-CANAL+star-consulting, is known for his rants, the second, emblematic editorialist of RMC, cultivates a more analytical approach. Their visions of football, often opposed, frequently placed them on front lines. But this week, a burning subject gathered them: Canal+ 'strategy in the face of the launch of the Ligue 1+ channel.
On Friday August 15, the Professional Football League (LFP) will officially launch its Ligue 1+ channel with a beautiful poster: Rennes-Marseille. But at the same time, Canal+ chose to broadcast in clear the premier League opening match between Liverpool and Bournemouth. A decision that many perceive as an act of deliberate sabotage, while the relations between Maxime Saada, boss of Canal+, and the LFP are still so tense.
On X, Daniel Riolo reacted. “So Nice-Benfica Person diffuses. Ok. Canal puts a PL match in front of the L1 recovery in Gratos. Ok. Canal and bein do everything to plant the launch of LFP+. Ok. Otherwise? No nothing was just to be sure that everything is fine ”quipped the journalist. A clear message: Canal+ seeks to torpedo the revival of the French championship.
“It's a bit disgusting”
For his part, Pierre Ménès, who knows the cogs of Canal+ well to have long worked there, said he was “Extremely disappointed” of the attitude of his former employer. On his YouTube channel, he reacted without detour: “What is a little disgusting is to put a first league match in clear. I want the excuse to be the tribute to Diogo Jota, but it is not cool to put this on the frontal compared to the first match of the season on Ligue 1+. (…) It wins, it makes a little revenge with two bullets. »»
And add: “When Canal behaves like this, it is not the LFP they attack, it is Ligue 1, the clubs, the jobs that go with it. »» For once, Riolo and Ménès speak in one voice. A rare alignment, but revealing the concern shared by many observers of French football.
