In France, financial investigators are raiding the LFP football league association and the financial investor CVC on suspicion of embezzlement of public funds and corruption. The searches followed investigations started in July that were examining the financial investor’s entry into the marketing of the TV rights for the French soccer league Ligue 1 in 2022, the financial prosecutor’s office in Paris said. According to media reports, the investigators also went to league president Vincent Labrune.
The investigation was triggered by a complaint from the anti-corruption association “AC!” At the end of 2023, the accusation of embezzlement of public funds was raised during the establishment of a subsidiary of the LFP, which takes care of the marketing of TV rights, the public prosecutor’s office continued.
LFP President Vincent Labrune is said to have enriched himself from the investor deal.
IMAGO/PanoramiC
As the broadcaster France Info reported, the raid by financial investigators came six days after a report was presented to the Paris Senate, according to which league officials received large bonuses from the deal with CVC and therefore had a personal interest in the deal. Accordingly, league president Labrune is said to have received a bonus of three million euros and his annual salary is said to have tripled to 1.2 million euros. (dpa/dma)
