UNFP warns over French women’s football as multiple club sections face closure | OneFootball

UNFP has warned over the state of women’s football in France, urging the LFFP to act swiftly as multiple club sections face closure.

According to L'Équipe, the union said it was sounding the alarm in a Friday statement, urging the LFFP to protect players at clubs that have disappeared or are under threat, the latest being Stade de Reims.

Reims players, who competed in the second tier this season, warned of an administrative drop to D3 or even R1, which they linked to the club’s gradual disengagement.

They stayed up in ninth but cited reduced pay, shared premises with the men’s reserve, and losing the main changing room in the women’s building, which they said was partly publicly funded.

UNFP said it would take up the case, offered full support, and flagged a wider trend. It appeared to confirm the end of Dijon’s women’s section and noted OGC Nice remains at risk.

The union said these are not isolated, but a symptom of a deeper economic crisis in French football. While an agreement in principle on a collective deal for professionals exists, it warned this would mean little if employers retreat, adding that women’s teams too often bear the brunt.

It urged the LFFP to strengthen the economic model of its competitions, with promised partners arriving. Vice-president Fabien Safanjon said any vacant slots could let willing, ambitious clubs step in. The Reims players have been invited to seek another structure for next season, the report said.

Source: L'Équipe