The landscape of professional football in France could be on the verge of a seismic shift, potentially mirroring the ownership models seen in cities like Strasbourg or Lyon.A proposed bill, championed by LFI deputy Éric Coquerel and backed by a cross-party coalition of lawmakers, aims to outlaw the multi-ownership of professional football clubs within France. While French sports law already prohibits a single entity from owning multiple French clubs, this new legislation seeks to expand that restriction, preventing an owner from holding stakes in both a French club and a foreign team. This practise currently affects approximately one-third of European football clubs.
The impact of multi-ownership is already evident in France. Reports indicate that ten of the 18 clubs in Ligue 1 and seven of the 18 clubs in Ligue 2 are currently part of multi-owner structures. Just last July, Olympique Lyonnais, under the umbrella of Eagle football Holdings, narrowly avoided administrative relegation to Ligue 2, a situation partly attributed to its complex multi-ownership economic model. Last season also saw the bankruptcy of American investment fund 777 Partners, the former owner of Red Star in Ligue 2, wich left the management of the Saint-Ouen club in the hands of its creditors and cast a shadow over its future.
Conversely, Strasbourg, owned by Bluco, which also holds Chelsea, achieved a European Cup qualification for the first time in two decades, despite facing opposition from its own fan base. The proposed bill, spearheaded by Éric Coquerel, includes stringent penalties for non-compliance. Violators could face fines equivalent to 2% of their global turnover and be barred from participating in competitions.
Expanding Oversight Powers
Furthermore, the legislation aims to bolster the authority of the National Directorate of Management Control (DNCG). This body would be empowered to scrutinize the financial viability of any proposed club acquisition, transfer, or change in shareholding, wiht the power to block such moves if deemed financially unsound.
The proposed law would not retroactively apply to existing ownership structures, a provision intended to avoid disproportionate disruption to the current balance of professional football in France. Importantly, the scope of the legislation is not limited to football but would extend to all sports governed by the French Sports Code.
Éric Coquerel is leveraging the broad, cross-party support for his bill, which has garnered signatures from nearly 90 deputies across the political spectrum. He aims to bring the proposal before the National Assembly by late 2025 or early 2026. Should the bill not be directly debated, an alternative strategy involves incorporating its provisions as amendments into existing legislation. Coquerel points to a bill concerning the organization, management, and financing of professional sports, which was passed by the Senate in June and has as been sent to the Assembly, as a potential vehicle for these amendments.
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