Philippe Diallo presses to salvage professional sport reform bill and secure vote | OneFootball

Philippe Diallo used his closing address at the French federation’s assembly in Ajaccio on Saturday to back the professional sport reform bill for football governance, pledging to try to see it passed.

At Théâtre l'Empire d'Ajaccio, Vincent Labrune spoke before Diallo to the FFF assembly. According to L'Équipe, their messages diverged over the proposal to reshape the organisation, management and financing of the professional game.

Diallo cast the reform as indispensable and urgent, and said he would seek to have the text adopted.

Labrune countered that if it did not make the National Assembly’s agenda, it would not be the end of the world. His stance echoed the LFP board and general assembly’s rejection of the bill in its current form on Wednesday.

Though Diallo had initially joined the professional game’s anger, he later clarified that the objection was to the draft, not to reform itself.

On Saturday he spoke of minor flaws, with the FFF and the League already preparing joint amendments to present to the Assembly. Several parliamentarians see no doubt the text will be cleaned up.

The bill has been divisive from the outset, even before amendments deemed unacceptable by the pro game, and pressure has been applied to delay its Assembly slot. Clubs including PSG and Lille want it dropped, despite Senate approval a year ago. After the 18 May postponement, 29 June is now hoped for, with Tuesday’s conference of group presidents at the Palais Bourbon to decide if it reaches the agenda.

Source: L'Équipe