The Téléfoot plateau shortly before the launch of the channel, August 18, 2020. -

BERTRAND GUAY / AFP

  • The agreement concluded between the LFP and Canal + for the resumption of TV rights to French football signals the end of the adventure of the Téléfoot channel.

  • Six months after its launch, the channel will broadcast its last match on Sunday evening with Classico OM-PSG.

A Classic, and a curtain!

After OM-PSG on Sunday evening, the Téléfoot channel will be extinguished less than six months after its launch, leaving behind an editorial staff that wishes to remain "professional and dignified" despite the sadness and "the immense mess" caused by the failure by Mediapro.

Until the end, the sixty employees installed in its premises in Aubervilliers believed in it.

Would Téléfoot be able to survive despite the withdrawal of its Sino-Spanish parent company Mediapro, acted in December?

The French leaders of the group have done everything to, in recent weeks, trying to convince sometimes Canal +, sometimes the Professional Football League (LFP), to take over the operation and management of the channel, built from scratch in a few months.

But the ax fell, brutally, Thursday evening, with the Canal + / LFP agreement for the reallocation of TV rights at the end of the season.

The Classico on February 7 will be the last of 382 Championship matches broadcast by the channel since the end of August, L1 and L2 included… to which must be added more than 250 European matches and the Champions Trophy.

"Our mission was not in vain"

“There was a little bit of hope even though the last few weeks were tough.

The first feeling is sadness, and also a feeling of immense waste.

We worked like crazy to deliver the baby.

He looked great anyway.

He was not far from walking ... And finally, for reasons that are beyond us completely, we send the chessboard on which we were waltzing, ”summarizes, fatalist, Thibault Le Rol, one of the star presenters of Téléfoot.

At the time of presenting his last multiplex, Sunday at 3:00 p.m., the host, formerly of beIN Sports, will undoubtedly have his voice moved and his heart heavy.

An emotion known by journalist Marina Lorenzo, at the helm on Friday of her last mid-day show telling the daily life of the clubs.

❤️ AT THE HEART OF THE CLUBS ❤️



🙏 @MarinaLorenzo_ pic.twitter.com/SdCUW2dqna

- TELEFOOT LA CHAINE DU FOOT (@telefoot_chaine) February 5, 2021

" I think that

our mission was not in vain ”, launched the facilitator between tears, surrounded by her team.

"Without hard feelings", will add with a smile the ex-presenter of "J + 1" on Canal +, a few minutes after receiving the live tributes from the Lens player Florian Sotoca, tributes from the world of football which have multiplied from the start of the weekend.

And now ?

Alongside his editorial staff in recent hours, the editorial director Jean-Michel Roussier has no doubts about the professionalism of his troops until the last minute, despite the sadness.

“There was hope, it died out.

The 16 games we have left, we will have to manage to get them out.

But the work, they will do it until the end, ”he confided on Friday, emphasizing the“ talent ”of the writing.

If the professional future - dismissal?

starting plan?

- still remains unclear for the employees questioned, due to internal discussions still in progress, the pride of having participated in this adventure remains.

“The bet is unfortunately lost in some respects, but it is won in others because I do not regret anything.

Having taken this risk, attempted this adventure, been a member of such an editorial team, I absolutely do not regret it, ”concludes Thibault Le Rol.

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