Jean-Pierre Caillot, "the voice of Ligue 1 clubs" on the board of directors of the Professional Football League, president of the Stade de Reims, does not hide his concern about the financial health of French football, which must to face an unprecedented situation vis-à-vis Mediapro, broadcaster of the championship, which has not paid its last two drafts under TV rights.
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Could some clubs soon find themselves in suspension of payments?
JEAN-PIERRE CAILLOT.
Of course.
It is not taboo to say so.
Today, TV rights are part of our economy and from the moment Mediapro, the main broadcaster, no longer pays us… The Professional Football League and its president Vincent Labrune are working to find solutions that are not simple.
But when you no longer have TV rights, no more ticketing, no more hospitality, you'll have to explain to me how you make your business live.
So yes, very clearly, there are more than half of the Ligue 1 clubs who could find themselves in suspension of payments if there is not a solution found quickly.
When could these clubs encounter serious cash flow difficulties?
If the League cannot take out a new loan, which is far from being assured to this day, I think that in February or March there will be a lot of clubs that cannot pay their players and their employees.
Because we often forget that a football club is not just 11 players.
How much do TV rights represent in the overall budget of the Stade de Reims?
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57% of the Reims budget.
But in Ligue 2 clubs this can go up to 70 or 75%.
This means that it is not only a few Ligue 1 clubs but all of French professional football that could find itself in great difficulty.
However, the public authorities have announced aid measures such as exemption from employer charges for sports clubs ...
We are told of exemption from employer charges, but in reality football clubs are not entitled to them because they are limited to 800,000 euros and we have already benefited from this measure during the first confinement.
This is the case in Reims and in all the L1 clubs.
Then, for the measures concerning the ticket office, we quickly reach the threshold.
Partial unemployment, we are not entitled to it, because we work.
Finally, concerning the DIC (collective image rights, a device which makes it possible to pay up to 30% of the salary without paying social charges), 100,000 euros on the scale of a payroll, it is very, very little .
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So what do you expect from the public authorities?
The public authorities are not there to pay the TV rights, they have other concerns.
We must not be mistaken, we do not expect them as our saviors.
But today, they did nothing to help us.
First and foremost, we need to resolve this TV rights problem.
Then for the other posts, if we do not obtain any exemption and if we continue to play behind closed doors or with a very low gauge, we will let football die.
Football is not just billionaires.
There are plenty of regional clubs run by business leaders who often do this on a voluntary basis to bring happiness to their supporters.
Do you think you will get your third milking?
Through all the contacts that I can have, I have no signs that give me hope.
I am not a utopian, and I do not see how Mediapro, which has not already paid its second draft, would honor its third payment.
Do you have any hope for the future?
As we speak, I am pessimistic, even if as a business manager and club president, we must have a dose of optimism.
But so far, I haven't seen the light at the end of the tunnel yet.
