LFP elections: Cyril Linette, the “manager” launched against Vincent Labrune's “old-fashioned logic”

Cyril Linette ne part pas favori face à Vincent Labrune. MAXPPP – YOAN VALAT

Cyril Linette is not the favorite against Vincent Labrune. MAXPPP – Philippe

The Professional Football League must appoint its president on Tuesday, September 10. Two candidates who are complete opposites are running.

Denouncing "old-fashioned logic" in French football, Cyril Linette is challenging Vincent Labrune for the election to the presidency of the Professional Football League (LFP), Tuesday, by betting on his profile as a "manager" who has worked for Canal +, L'Équipe and PMU.

He now dreams of becoming a "football manager" but this is not a video game. Because Cyril Linette is attacking the stranglehold of Vincent Labrune, outgoing president of the LFP, ultra-favorite for his re-election on Tuesday. But he assures that he is not impressed. "There is only one project, it is mine. Labrune, it is “there is a crisis that I helped create, and now I have to resolve it” ». Nevertheless « “I am not an anti-Labrune candidate, I am a business leader who can be a perfectly suitable resource for French football because he knows how to make a turnaround and he knows the sector,” adds Cyril Linette.

With a certain relish, Cyril Linette talks about “reducing costs, as always” when he takes over the reins of a company: “sorting, prioritizing is still my job”. He knows that this speech can carry weight while the LFP has offered itself a seat for 127 million euros; in Paris and that Vincent Labrune saw his annual salary triple, from 400,000 to 1.2 million euros.

This is no longer acceptable to public opinion after an unsuccessful call for tenders, then months of laborious negotiations, at the end of which the LFP sold the broadcasting rights to Ligue 1 for around 500 million euros per year, mainly to DAZN, in addition to beIN Sports. A significant drop in revenue for French clubs, compared to the 624 million euros of the previous contract.

Emblematic of the “old-fashioned logic” which had prevailed until then at the head of French football, according to Linette. Vincent Labrune, according to him, made the mistake of thinking that the media needed football rights when now, entertainment is endless. Canal + "has unfortunately gotten used to doing without Ligue 1. We are changing times, football needs to see it".

"École des fans"

His "vision" is "refocusing, capitalizing on its strengths" : “French football is about great heritage clubs, beautiful stadiums, some of the most fervent atmospheres in Europe, local and territorial quarrels, there is nothing old-fashioned about all that“, Mr. Linette continues. Why this “manager” ambitious, who has skillfully built his career, is he coming to the disaster that probably awaits him, Vincent Labrune being supported by many club presidents and influential football players ?

Cyril Linette is betting big on the vote of the General Assembly, which precedes the decisive one of the Board of Directors: if he beats Vincent Labrune, he will be able to assert his legitimacy. This campaign is also a first seed sown. Problem: Linette had to agree to resign from the CA if he was not elected president, by virtue of a pact made with the Union of Football Actors (UAF) to obtain the sponsorship essential to his candidacy.

Christophe Bouchet once again dons the clothes of his former teacher: « It's his mistake, if he's not elected he's leaving, it's not a good message”. Vincent Labrune understood this well, slipping to L'Equipe: “Presiding over the League is not the school for fans. It's not: Hey I don't know what to do, so I'm going to be president of the League”.