The spirits group abandoned its agreement signed earlier this week with the Parisian football club on Thursday, September 5, 2024. An association strongly contested by OM supporters.
This is already a break. Faced with the scale of the controversy, Pernod Ricard announced this Thursday, September 5th, “give up” to its partnership with PSG. OM supporters, for whom the company is first and foremost from Marseille, reacted violently on Monday, September 2, at the time of the announcement and threatened to boycott the brand’s products. This partnership between Pernod Ricard and PSG was signed for a period of four years, and made the brand founded by Marseille’s Paul Ricard, creator of the famous pastis, the only supplier of spirits to the capital club abroad.
Against the backdrop of the historic rivalry between PSG and OM, the affair continued to escalate until it reached the ears of the mayor of Marseille, Benoît Payan.I was not happy to see that“, regretted the PS elected official on Wednesday on BFM Marseille Provence, announcing that he was going to meet Alexandre Ricard, the CEO of the group, to ask him for explanations (“There are many things to tell him, first I will ask him how and why we end up supporting PSG»).
“A decision that comes from the heart”
The Pernod-Ricard group, which had clearly not anticipated such violent reactions, tried to justify itself, insisting on the fact that this sponsorship of PSG was at the “strict exclusion of France” due to the Evin law which prohibits “any sponsorship operation […] when its object or effect is propaganda or advertising, direct or indirect, in favor of alcoholic beverages.
But that was not enough. This Thursday, Alexandre Ricard backtracked by abandoning the agreement, in a press release: “For over 90 years, Ricard’s history has been intertwined with Marseille, where he was born, grew up and inspired. And this bond is stronger than anything. So it is a decision that comes from the heart that I am making today.“He says he made this choice.”hearing those who make success” of his brand, “including our employees in France, our customers and our shareholders“So it is no longer time for aperitifs for Parisian supporters.
