By Samindra Kunti
December 19 – Didier Quillot is the executive director of the LFP, the body presiding over professional French football. In an exclusive interview with Insideworldfootball Quillot addressed the challenges Ligue 1 faces.
How has 2016 been for French football and Ligue 1?
It has been a good year, because in the first half of the 2016/17 season Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco, in the Champions League, and Olympique Lyon and Saint-Etienne, in the Europa League, have progressed. Ligue 1 is progressing – the product is broadcast in a much better way. After Euro 2016, we have decent stadiums and pitches. We have good referees. There is still an issue when it comes to attendances. This season’s Ligue 1 is very open, with Nice, Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain on almost an equal number of points. PSG is not running away from the other competitors and that brings additional suspense. That is a good thing.
What has improved in terms of broadcasting?
We asked the directors of Canal+ and beIN Sports to improve the TV packages. The camera viewpoint has been lowered and there are less replays. The matches are broadcast in more spectacular fashion, the way they do it in the Premier League. That’s what we asked the broadcasters.
Attendances have been problematic.
Attendances are not going down. They are flat, at the same mark as at the halfway stage last season. It could have been better, but it’s not going down either. It’s flat.
More fans could have been the legacy of Euro 2016.
We are working with the clubs to improve the stadium marketing. We try to promote ticketing. We want to improve the fan and customer experience, but we have to admit that France is in a state of emergency for political and terrorism reasons. There are two main reasons why attendances aren’t what we expected them to be: the state of emergency – people are concerned about going to the stadium, and the second reason is Olympique de Marseille. They were acquired by Mr. [Frank] McCourt. The team was poor in the first half of the season and the attendances were around 25,000 mark per match – that number is normally 50,000. It’s a question of improving the quality of the team and their game. I am confident that with McCourt, who is going to invest during the ‘mercato’, the team and the attendance will improve.
You are confident that McCourt will invest, given his history at the LA Dodgers?
At the LA Dodgers there was a personal issue for McCourt, not a sporting or financial one. It had nothing to do with sports and investment. It was personal, he was going through a divorce. He has come in at Marseille and I simply believe him.
Who can compete with PSG in Ligue 1 in the long run?
Ligue 1 needs four to five big clubs. You have Nice and Monaco now. You can add Marseille and Olympique Lyon. You need four to five big clubs to increase the competition and the chance element in the league. There are a few other clubs who can challenge to be in the top half of the table, but in terms of really big clubs I have given you the names already.
As a league, do you encourage foreign investment?
The French league is a good one and we are encouraging French and foreign investors. We are not afraid to invest to help our clubs and to help football grow.
How close is Ligue 1 to the other big European leagues?
We need to progress – to improve the product, the marketing and the TV rights. We are making a strategy plan in order to progress in all these aspects.
In the revamped Champions League format France and Ligue 1 will be the big losers.
The decision has been taken by UEFA, but the French league is part of the European professional football league and they have been clear that these reforms have been conducted with their consultation, which I regret. I do believe that France should have been treated in a better way. That is not the case.
Is this reform bad in general for European football?
I do not wish to comment.
In 2017 you will open an office with the FFF in China, another step for your international exposure?
International development is a priority for the French league. Together with the French Federation [FFF] we want to open this office to improve the visibility of French football and to look for sponsors and investors. We also want to export the knowledge of French academies.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1713996253labto1713996253ofdlr1713996253owedi1713996253sni@i1713996253tnuk.1713996253ardni1713996253mas1713996253