1.8 million euros in profits: the good accounts of the French Football Federation

The French Football Federation (FFF) made a profit for the 2022-2023 season, after a loss-making year due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020-2021. The financial result stands at 1.2 million euros, compared to 800,000 euros in 2021-2022.

The accounts, approved on Saturday during the FFF General Assembly held in a large Parisian hotel, show current income of 283.6 million euros, up 9.4% compared to 2021-2022, which were already up 38.5 million euros compared to the 2020-2021 season. These results for the 2022/23 financial year were voted by almost 80%, just like the accounts closed on June 30 which were voted by 68%.

Cut in TV rights

Among these current products, there was an increase in profits linked to the FFF’s partnerships and commercial activities in particular with the equipment manufacturer Nike (130.3 million euros compared to 114.4 million euros last year ). It had strong “financial benefits from the final of the 2022 World Cup, thanks to derivative products and equipment manufacturers”, specified Aline Riera, treasurer of the FFF, specifying that six matches of the Blues had taken place out of 10 normally at because of the World Cup organized in December 2022, leading to organizational savings.

These results compensate for a drop in revenue from TV rights (57.9 million euros compared to 69.2 million euros in 2021-2022). This reduction corresponds to that of TV rights for the Coupe de France (15.9 million euros in 2022/23 compared to 23.5 the previous year). Operating income for this financial year amounted to 281.9 million euros and expenses were 277.8 million euros (274.3 in 21/22) with in particular 104 million euros paid to the amateur football.

“These accounts are good”, declared the president of the FFF Philippe Diallo, which will “allow the federation to generate a profit”. This profit “will be placed in our reserves” and will “allow smoothing over two financial years”. Last year, the FFF returned to the green after a 2020-2021 financial year marked by a negative result (-0.2 M EUR), a first in seven years, due to the effects of Covid-19 with two seasons of consecutive period during which the number of licenses, ticketing revenues and TV royalties had decreased.