Often indecisive and conducive to surprises, the election on Thursday of the president of the Professional Football League (LFP) seems this time to have a big favorite, the media man Michel Denisot.
But everything will be played out "at the last moment", behind the scenes.
As often when it comes to the authorities of French football, the day will be long Thursday in Paris.
Meeting of Ligue 1 clubs and their Ligue 2 counterparts, elective General Assembly of professional clubs at 2:30 p.m., meeting of the new Board of Directors in the wake, then final vote of the General Assembly.
And finally, only white smoke will appear.
The signal that a new boss of professional football will have been appointed to replace Nathalie Boy de la Tour, the current president not a candidate for his own succession.
So many meetings conducive to twists and turns, even if one name seems to hold the cord, that of Michel Denisot.
Denisot has the "complete panoply"
The former strongman of Canal + (75 years), who refused to comment in the press before the decisive day, ticks a lot of boxes.
Former president of Paris SG and Châteauroux (Ligue 2), he has sat on the Board of Directors of the LFP as a representative of the French Federation (FFF) since the end of 2015.
Within the encrypted channel, he was immersed in the field of sports television rights, an extremely important field for clubs, as evidenced by the reluctance of Canal + and beIN Sports to pay the last drafts of rights during the interruption of the championship. in spring.
"He has a bit of the full panoply," says a connoisseur of instances.
A member of the current Board of Directors continues: “Among the people approached, Michel Denisot is certainly the most unifying of all.
He enjoys a good image, he is not a restless person, and he has managed teams in several areas. ”
Its only pitfall, to believe some actors, is its candidate status propelled by the president of the Federation Noël Le Graët.
“His election would make us depend a lot on the FFF,” points out a Ligue 1 club leader, stressing that no candidate is “officially declared”.
Beware of surprises
Hearings could thus take place on D-Day, according to some members of the authorities, with behind-the-scenes negotiations that leave room for uncertainty.
One of them has been swept away in recent days: the former leader of the L'Equipe group François Morinière, once seen as the candidate of "big" clubs like Paris SG and Lyon, explained to AFP that the presidency "was not the function" he "sought".
Morinière, like Denisot, moreover, candidate above all for a place within the college of independents of the Board of Directors of the League.
It is from this college that the future president most often comes.
Among the candidates for this college of independents is also Vincent Labrune, the former president of Marseille.
His name is mentioned by several sources, but few of them imagine him embarking on the race.
Former Lens President Gervais Martel is also cited.
From a source close to the Sang et Or club, we insist on its “address book”, its “experience” and its “meaning of the formula”.
But an administrator of the League tempers: "It is not a high-end manager ..." "The games are quite open (...) Everything is played at the last moment, including with people who are not declared candidates ”, recalls a connoisseur of the authorities.
In 2016, the name of the former coach of the Blues Raymond Domenech had for example been proposed by the Council.
But the elective general assembly of professional clubs had challenged him, precipitating the surprise election of Boy de la Tour.
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