French football reform set for June 29 vote
French football’s proposed governance overhaul will go before the National Assembly on June 29, with clubs and the French Football Federation divided over the balance of commercial control and regulatory power.
French lawmakers will examine a proposed overhaul of professional football governance on June 29, reviving legislation that could replace the Ligue de Football Professionnel with a club-owned commercial company.The bill would reshape how Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 are managed following a prolonged financial crisis driven by falling domestic media revenue, club losses and disputes over the leadership of the professional game.The LFP said the legislation in its current form required a substantial revision and called for a structure that was more relevant and operational for professional clubs.Under the proposed model, clubs would become shareholders in a new company responsible for managing and commercialising professional competitions. CVC Capital Partners, which invested €1.5bn in the LFP’s commercial subsidiary, would also retain an economic interest.The French Football Federation would receive stronger oversight powers, including influence over decisions considered important to the wider game.Those provisions have become a central point of disagreement. Professional clubs are concerned that an extensive FFF veto could restrict their control over competition formats, commercial strategy and media-rights operations.The reform is intended to separate the commercial management of professional football from functions such as financial supervision and discipline.Responsibility for the DNCG, French football’s financial watchdog, could move more firmly under federation control as part of the new structure.The legislation was originally scheduled for consideration by the National Assembly on May 18 but was postponed. Its inclusion on the June 29 agenda gives supporters of the reform another opportunity to secure approval before the parliamentary summer break.The Senate adopted an earlier version of the bill in June 2025 after the government initiated an accelerated legislative procedure.A joint committee of senators and National Assembly members is provisionally expected to meet on July 22 to reconcile differences between the two chambers if deputies approve an amended text.The reform also contains wider measures covering professional sport financing, revenue distribution, financial controls and the fight against illegal broadcasting.The commercial model of French football has faced sustained pressure since the collapse of its previous domestic broadcast arrangements. Ligue 1 subsequently developed its own direct-to-consumer service as clubs sought to rebuild recurring media income.Approval on June 29 would move French football closer to its most significant governance restructuring in decades, although the final division of powers between clubs, the new commercial entity and the FFF will remain subject to parliamentary negotiation.