Jean-Baptiste Sarrazin / Photo credit: Frederic Scheiber / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP
modified to
8:19 p.m., June 01, 2023
Exceptional guest of the program “Europe 1 Sport”, Jean-Marc Mickeler, national director of management control (DNCG) of French football, reassured about the health of clubs in France. The leader explained how the professional teams are followed at the budgetary level throughout the season.
“French football is better”. Jean-Marc Mickeler, national director of management control (DNCG) of football in France, reassured on the good management of clubs at national level. Special guest of the show Europe 1 Sports (every evening from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. live on Europe 1), the leader underlined a large budgetary improvement within French professional clubs. “French football is now extremely well positioned to do well in the future. And this, especially since we have saved our fifth place in the UEFA rankings, synonymous with more cash inflows”, added recalled Jean-Marc Mickeler at the microphone of Jacques Vendroux.
As a reminder, France managed to maintain its fifth European rank at the level of footballing nations following the defeat of AZ Alkmaar in the semi-finals of the Europa League Conference. France was threatened with losing its place to the Netherlands. This good news thus allows the League to offer four places for the Champions League from 2024 (three direct and one qualifier). A strategic position to increase revenue from TV rights for clubs.
Financial policeman
Ensuring the good financial health of the French teams is Jean-Marc Mickeler’s main mission. Its main role is to “guarantee a fair course of the professional championships and to ensure that a club which starts the season can finish it”, he summarized in Europe 1 Sports. A role of “financial policeman” which has above all a preventive function to prevent clubs from falling into bankruptcy. The DNCG must “ensure that the means of the teams are proportionate to the means implemented by the shareholders”. In other words, that the clubs do not buy on credit.
“We have a constant dialogue throughout the year with the clubs, with the shareholders of the clubs who regularly present their budget to us. We anticipate the hearings which are traditionally held at the end of the season, in May, in June”, explained the boss of the DNCG. But he assures him, “in 95% of cases, it goes well”. And this year, all eyes will be on the National 1 championship. Concarneau, which has won its promotion to Ligue 2, may not ultimately move up the echelon because of its stadium not yet approved for the second. division. Relegated to National 2, Nancy appealed on her side to recover a few points. Jean-Marc Mickeler also has “a number of uncertainties” about certain clubs, but the DNCG “will find the answers in the coming weeks”.
However, exceptional and singular situations according to Jean-Marc Mickeler who once again recalled the good health of the majority of clubs in France, in particular in relation to the Covid period. For him, “French football is out of the woods”.