French clubs count cost of economic downturn

Hit hard by the economic crisis, French football clubs are moving towards shorter, less lucrative contracts for their players and a greater emphasis on youth development.

“It’s the continuation of a situation already observed last summer (2009),” says Philippe Diallo, head of the French Union of Professional Football Clubs (UCPF).

“The public was struck by the big transfers of Real Madrid, and Lyon and Marseille in France, as well as Bordeaux’s bid to keep (Yoann) Gourcuff, but apart from that, the market was already sinking,” he told AFP.

Real, Lyon and Marseille all broke their club transfer records during costly recruitment drives last summer, while Bordeaux paid around 15 million euros to secure France midfielder Gourcuff on a permanent deal from AC Milan.

“Since then, the economic crisis hit French football in 2009-10 and the levels of debt in big neighbouring championships have reduced their clubs’ capacity to invest,” Diallo added.

“This ‘foreign trade’ has dried up. Lots of (French) clubs are hoping to reduce their wage bill but still need to find buyers.

“The clubs often have to buy before they can sell and it’s a bit like a snake biting its own tail.”

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas had already warned in May that football was entering a “a zone of (economic) turbulence”.

He also criticised the French government’s decision last year to scrap the law that enabled French clubs to pass a proportion of their collective image rights onto their players as bonuses.

“The State has proposed nothing to replace this provision and now we are on the rocks,” said Aulas, who estimated that the move “will cost Lyon seven million euros”.

Wages in Ligue 1 are already falling as a result of the economic downturn.

“Last year provoked a first tendency (for salaries) to drop, by almost five percent this year, and we’ll go on to see this trend confirmed,” said Diallo.

At Lyon, for example, Aulas has fixed an objective of reducing the senior playing staff from 28 to 25 players, while Marseille coach Didier Deschamps is under orders to cut the French champions’ wage bill by 10 percent.

Increased pressure on players’ salaries will not be distributed equally, however.

“Those who suffer the most won’t be the stars but the average players,” warns sport sociologist Patrick Mignon.

“We’ll see pressure on the good domestic players and the youngsters to keep something in reserve for the potential stars.”

From another perspective, youngsters and players from Africa and eastern Europe who cost less than established stars may benefit from more opportunities to break into the elite.

“The crisis could also prompt foreign leagues to come and pick up talents wherever they find them,” warns Diallo, citing the example of English giants Arsenal who, in his view, “trawl Europe looking for youngsters”.