The president of the FFF is not excited by the idea of ​​Vincent Labrune, for the moment at least.

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FRANCK FIFE / AFP

"This is not the right time" to consider a Ligue 1 with 18 clubs, this is what Noël Le Graët estimated in an interview with L'Équipe, in response to the idea launched by his counterpart in the League Vincent Labrune.

An idea however supported Thursday at a press conference by Didier Deschamps, who judged that this reform "made sense".

“It would be necessary to carry out a financial study, to question the television channels.

It still makes matches less.

You can't say like that "I throw a coin in the air and, depending on which side it falls, it's yes or no."

This can create a mess with TVs, ”explains the president of the French Football Federation, while the TV rights contracts run until 2024.

The boss of the LFP, Vincent Labrune, said he wanted "to open a debate on the number of clubs participating in L1 and L2".

“We need to redesign the format of our competitions.

It is mandatory, otherwise we will die of boredom in terms of entertainment and exhaustion in terms of investments, ”judges the former president of Marseille in an interview with the Journal du Dimanche.

"A few weeks ago some wanted to play at 22 ..."

But Noël Le Graët recalls that "the calls for tender were made with 20 clubs".

“At the television level, we do not really know who is broadcasting us… Are the television channels ready to broadcast fewer matches and at what price?

He wonders.

“The timing is not necessarily the best one.

There is the Covid, TV contracts with 20 clubs… It doesn't happen like that.

If this must be done, it is preparing for a future call for tenders, ”insists the boss of the FFF.

Then president of the League, Noël Le Graët had already tested this formula of a tight elite in 1997. “In the past, we have often spoken of a return to 18 in L1.

This never succeeded because the resistance of the clubs was too strong.

You ask two additional clubs to go down to Ligue 2… A few weeks ago, when we were in difficulty, some wanted to play at 22… ”, concludes Le Graët.

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