Only major league soccer to not restart his season, the France, which whip to reduce the economic gap and sport separating it from its neighbors, sees its hopes of a comeback seriously complicate. The end of the illusion of a "Big 5" european championships ? The country of world champions, with the latest estimates of the League (LFP) reported "over 500 million" of losses to be feared due to the stop of the championship, including more than 200 million in TV rights, according to a leader of the French football.
Jean-Michel Aulas, president of Lyon, the wind standing against the end of the season early, has even blackened the table. "All this will lead us to economic disaster : 700, 800, 900 million euros of losses at 30 June for the clubs ", he hammered in the beginning of the week on France Info. Such an argument has, it seems, is concentrated more outside of France. By picking up their championship, the clubs of Germany hope to save 300 million euros of TV rights at the end of the season. In England, it is close to 850 million euros...
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But it was not only the TV rights, and the damage could be heavy for the L1. "This loss of revenue can be measured also on the image effects, the sponsors, the partners and the customers of the clubs that will be a long time without activity ", develops Loïc Ravenel, scientific collaborator at the international Centre for studies of sport, Neuchâtel (Switzerland).
The arrival this summer on the market of broadcaster Mediapro, the main responsible of the explosion of TV rights-domestic France (1,217 billion euros a year promised to 2024 for the championships of France), was to propel the French clubs in a different dimension... It will especially address the losses, especially as it will be necessary to puncture the contract 224,5 million euros over four years, corresponding to the amount of the loan guaranteed by the State, subscribed by the League to relieve the treasuries.
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And the future of the TV rights, international particular, is not rosy for the " League of talents ", to the judgment, is confronted to a English Premier League, which will set out its games and its stars, these next few weeks. "Already that the L1 was quite a few broadcast abroad, with this situation where all of the competitors on the markets such as Asia will be disseminated, it may be more difficult to re-negotiate rights on the rise," says Loïc Ravenel.
This specialist also expects a "decrease of the value of the players" and French clubs "in a position of weakness" at the time of sale. Other voices, such as that of Bernard Caïazzo, president of the union premier League, comprising the majority of the teams, Ligue 1, highlights on the contrary that it is necessary to "hope" that championship neighbours resume so that they can buy in France.
The OL and PSG to save the season ?
Only showcases the French of the upcoming summer : Paris SG and Lyon, still engaged in the champions League. The exploits of these two clubs, if C1 ends well in the month of August, save the face of sports in the French football. Because this season, aside from these two teams, the football hex was pale, with just a single victory to be shared between Lille (C1), Rennes and Saint-Étienne (Europa League), piteusement eliminated of the European Cups.
Not the ideal to hope to eventually have more than two tickets directly qualifying for the C1 to the set of the famous index in the UEFA. To this date, and until the end of the european competitions, France, 5th in the UEFA rankings, has seen the gap separating it from the "top 4" to more than double since the beginning of the season. Now, it is more close to Portugal, 6th, that of Italy, 4th...
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" base, this concept of the "Big Five" is an intellectual construction, even if the figures show that France is more near of the four major championships of leagues "secondary" " tip Loïc Ravenel. "The increase in the differences existed already before the crisis, maybe they will grow a bit with this competition is distorted," he continues. But the crisis may also sign the starting point for a better regulation of markets, where France, by training and the youth of its League, for example, would have assets to bring. "In the meantime, the summer will be the best of the" Big 4 ". And France is expected to be the fifth wheel of the coach...
