May 13 – Imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, and the 33-year-old English Premier League is deserving of a bow as the French Football Federation (FFF) unveils plans to completely transform their governance structure by adopting the Premier League’s club-owned model.
This revolutionary shift will replace the long-standing Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) with a new equity-based platform owned by the clubs themselves.
FFF President Philippe Diallo said that French clubs and private equity firm CVC Capital Partners will become shareholders in a newly formed company tasked with managing and marketing professional competitions, with the FFF retaining a stake. CVC will have 13% of the capital.
“This would be a French version of the Premier League – a club-owned company with paid executives running the league,” Diallo explained.
“This is an innovative and disruptive project compared to the current organisation of professional football. It aims to lay the foundation for a rebound of our professional clubs within a more efficient and transparent framework, with a renewed role for the federation.”
The transformation comes at a critical juncture for French football, which has been battling financial instability. In response, three specialised task forces were established in March to streamline the governance structure.
Diallo further clarified: “With the creation of LFP Media, the LFP has become almost an empty shell. This proposal would see the LFP disappear as its functions are absorbed by the new company. This project will require legislative changes.”
The French Senate is scheduled to review a bill addressing professional sports governance on June 10.
Founded in 1932 as the National Championship, Ligue 1 has evolved through multiple iterations to become France’s premier football competition.
Over the last few decades, French football has struggled to match the commercial success of its European counterparts, particularly the Premier League. The domestic TV rights deals have consistently lagged behind those in England, Spain, and Germany, creating a widening financial gap that has forced many French clubs to rely heavily on player sales to remain viable.
This governance overhaul represents the most significant structural change in French football since the professional league’s formation and signals a determined effort to revitalize the financial health and competitive standing of French clubs on the European stage.
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