Campaign there is efficiency at every game

French football saw a paradox. Despite any Honourable sum results (the France team is qualified for its fourth Cup in the world straight, two clubs, Bordeaux and Lyon, in the running for the quarterfinals of the champions League), the image degrades, at least among opinion leaders. Hand of Thierry Henry against the Ireland, mediocre game, clubs affected by the financial crisis, violence by his supporters, trial of the questionable transfers of the MTP: not a week without the small world of the round ball gives the grain grinding columnists, bloggers and other talk show hosts. Obviously, the sector, defined yet today as a real industry, does not know organize its communication to channel its excesses. If the reactions to the recent death of a supporter of Paris Saint-Germain were credible, firm and perfect coherence, but less sensitive issues left to be desired.

France team: case Domenech

"It's too ..." "of things my team who pollute": last Monday on the website of the Fifa, the international football Federation, Raymond Domenech once more played the victims. The man the more disputed, otherwise France hated recognized willingly in an interview late 2009 to Lexpress.fr: "I am not paid to communicate, but the Blues go as far as possible." I think is a good Communicator internal .... Outside, if necessary, I am speaking. If it is not, I cut. And if this is not the team, I am crazy. "Provocateur assumed, he adds:"Press Conference, I practice a form of aggression, I agree. I am a little humor, I sometimes play cynics... to not expose my players. "In defiance of the instructions given to it by the French football Federation (FFF), after the disastrous campaign of Euro 2008, and the social impact of the France team. Impact also led Rama Yade, Secretary of State for Sports, asked the Federation to review its operation and the MP François-Michel Gonnot (UMP) to claim the head of coach.

FFF: clumsiness of the President...

Technician anxious to protect his players against the media, Domenech is not a good Communicator. Either. But the problem is that the instance that employs him, and that is by delegation of public service, is not better in the exercise. Its President, Jean-Pierre Escalettes, has multiplied the clumsiness. End of 2009, it renews its confidence in the coach in place, and then, in early 2010, announces go looking for his successor, planning to give her name before June 11. Is it reasonable to create an untenable situation for the future coach, any press will seek comment on the work that it will replace during the competition The President of the FFF also gave a list of favorites: Laurent Blanc, Didier Deschamps, Jean Tigana... The best way to piss off those that have not been cited and make comfortable stakeholders with their employers present, starting with the touchy Nicolas de Tavernost, M6 boss and owner of the Girondins de Bordeaux, contract with Laurent Blanc. "Govern is anticipate." "But, in certain delicate situations, good communication, is not to say anything," says an elected official of the Federation. The same Federation, reconvenes 2008, launched a communication with the Franck Tapiro advertising campaign to bring the public of the France team. Campaign there is efficiency at every game...

... and the inaccuracies of the Vice-President

December 18, 2009, the press conference during which he confirms Raymond Domenech in his position, Jean-Pierre Escalettes pass the floor to Noël Le Graët, its Vice-President in charge of Economic Affairs. It announces the renewal of major economic contracts of the institution for the next four years: EUR 30 million in annual revenue by Crédit Agricole, GDF Suez, the PMU and other hub. The presentation is blurred, the rank of each of the partners is not well detailed, and shipped in a quarter of an hour. No partner is present, no logo is shown. The Vice President also said that the Federation has extended his contract with TF1 broadcast at 11 games a year at a price of 45 million euros per year, or about 4 million per game. Las! Two months later, they learn that when the two first years of the agreement, the account is there will not be. M6 has, in effect, purchased on the market two meetings held abroad (Romania and the Luxembourg), and covets three others. A coup going from 45 million euros per year to 40, or even 35 million. Noël Le Graët forgot to clarify that he had actually sold to the one that matches be held in France, the only ones the FFF has rights, and that it was engaged for others on a clause of "best effort"!

League: silence on finance

With the pros, the professional football league (LFP), it is sometimes Gauss confusion of his guardianship body. But there is not much better. The cancellation of the OM - PSG match is announced that same day, while unruly Parisian fans are already on the Canebière. And, while the clubs are battling for the compensation of the famous law of collective image removed by the Government, the budget 2008-2009 National Directorate for the control of management, which shows 33 million overall for 2008-2009 losses and a forecast deficit of 100 million for the current season, is the subject of any press conference. However, ECHO to the financial fragility of clubs could that serve their interests to the public authorities.

Governance in question

Supported by figures from TV hearings and polls (the latest KantarSport survey indicates that, in January 2010, 47 of the French were interested by the football, 4 more than in 2009), French football leaders believe that the popularity of their sport protects them from all hazards. "It is a problem of governance, is the former General Manager of a club with a view. The Federation is led by volunteers from the amateur world and the League, which the Presidency may statutorily accruing to an independent, by a brilliant lawyer at the Court of cassation (Frédéric Thiriez, Editor's note), he also volunteer but, in fact, very far from the reality of the life of a professional club. By contrast, the English Premier League is a commercial structure led by true professionals of soccer business. "In sum, the wrong com of the French football would be a reflection of a certain amateurism.