Kylian Mbappé made headlines last week for refusing to participate in an advertising spot for the French national team as he did not agree with the conditions offered by the Federation. That generated a tension within the highest body of French footballsetting a precedent that can condition the way of understanding the relationships between the clubs and the players in the obligations with the sponsors.
As detailed by L’Équipe, according to the regulations of the UNFP, the union of professional players in France, the obligations of the players are usually established in the employment contracts. In fact, article 280 of the football statutes define this relationship: “”When signing your employment contract and through a specific clause, the player authorizes his club to use his image and/or his name for its benefitreproduced collectively and individually, provided that at least five players from the squad are used in a strictly identical manner. Below this limit, the individual use of each player must have obtained a specific agreement for each operation.”
If a player alleges that he is tired or injured, the club can listen to him so that he does not participate in an advertising campaign. But if, on the contrary, the footballer does not want to go to the act because he establishes that he competes with his individual brand, then the club has the last word. In the case of Mbappé, the PSG crack has a clause in his contract in which he can remain reluctant to participate with some brands. Relations with Parisians are not easy, as their lawyer plays a decisive role and assured in L’Équipe that his client is free to intervene in the acts he deems appropriate, something that conditions the relationship between the club and the player.
PSG receives less money from CVC to promote equality
Ligue 1 made official this Friday the agreement with the investment fund CVC for the next three seasons. Both parties founded a Commercial Company in which the CVC will have a 13% stake in Ligue 1 to exploit its rights in exchange for €1.5 million. PSG, who are in group 1, will receive €200m in the first year of the deal after giving up €350m. The Parisian outfit deserved that amount as they generate 35% of the profits from French football, a gesture that has been applauded by several Ligue 1 officials, including Jean-Michel Aulas, president of Olympique de Lyon.