French clubs opposing professional sport reform bill still hope for delay | OneFootball

Opponents of France’s professional sport reform bill are still seeking a delay, stepping up efforts to rally clubs hours before the National Assembly debate on Monday.

According to L'Équipe, a two-page op-ed titled "Réformer le football français, sans le fragiliser" is circulating among clubs that want the proposal postponed or even scrapped. It follows a league board vote rejecting the text and a row at the general assembly. The bill reaches the Assembly a year after passing the Senate by all but one vote.

The game is split. Backers include six clubs, Marseille, Le Havre, Paris FC, Lens, Rennes and Lyon, plus the federation. Opponents include PSG, Lille, Monaco, Nice and Lorient, with Auxerre, Angers, Brest, Le Mans, Strasbourg, Toulouse and Troyes less decided.

In recent days opponents have sought signatures from Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, sometimes bypassing executives to contact shareholders, as at Toulouse and Troyes. On the eve of the vote, each camp is counting supporters.

The op-ed says clubs back reform in principle but argues the current text falls short, and asks for a postponement to allow deeper, internationally aligned work. It also flags some of the 350 amendments as unacceptable, including fan representation in governance and a free-to-air match.

Le Havre president Jean-Michel Roussier says the bill has been on the table for over two years and that all stakeholders have had their say. He says he trusts deputies and the forthcoming joint committee to smooth out sticking points so governance can become healthier and calmer.

Once the Assembly has voted, a joint committee of seven senators and seven deputies is due to review the text on 8 July to bring it closer to the PPL’s original intent. By late July it is scheduled to return to both chambers before a final adoption.

Lens owner Joseph Oughourlian says the law moves in the right direction and laments that legislators were needed to put things back in order. He argues any excessive amendments stem solely from defenders of the status quo who have long held responsibility and sought to block the law.

A total of 11 Ligue 1 clubs, and the same number in Ligue 2, had signed the op-ed by the evening.

Source: L'Équipe