As highlighted by RMC Sport, French Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs will promote Qatar as part of the rights agreement between the LFP and the Middle Eastern state. The agreement details the €100 million that Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs will receive in two parts: €80 million in TV rights and €20 million in “sponsorship deals,” says the document available on the LFP website.
“We don’t yet know how we will be asked to display them.”
“Qatar Tourism” will therefore sponsor this season the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs which will have to provide, before September 30, an “available inventory” to the LFP in order to see what can be achieved. If “Qatar Tourism” enters into conflict with the clubs or certain partners of the teams, the document raises the possibility of a partnership with the broadcaster beIN Sports or “any other brand”. In detail, Qatar spends 20 million euros: 16.4 are available for the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs. This makes approximately 730,000 euros per Ligue 1 club and 170,000 euros per second division club. The remaining 3.6 million euros correspond to an agreement between the League and “Qatar Tourism”.
While the agreement offers a nice financial windfall to the clubs, it is still a little unclear in how it will be implemented. Claude Ferrandi, president of Bastia (currently 2nd in Ligue 2), is still waiting to see how this will materialize with a relatively undeveloped appetite for promoting too much in Qatar.
“There is indeed a sponsorship part, but we don’t know yet what will be asked of us,” he explained to Radio Alta Frequenza. “It’s a big sponsor, that means a lot of visibility… We don’t know yet how we will be asked to display them. It seems that there is a lot of flexibility on that, it won’t pose a big problem. It’s a subject that we have opened, as a debate, mind you. There is also no logic in us displaying Qatar, excuse me. I have nothing against them but why would I put up a sign saying ‘Long live Qatar’ or ‘Visit Qatar’? It’s not my sponsor, today. So then, we are entering into something that is still very complex, it’s not the only debate.”
- RMC Sport
