France: "Taxes and social charges suffocate the French football clubs" (B. Caïazzo, Saint-Étienne)

"Taxes and social charges suffocate the French clubs much more than their European neighbors," stated Bernard Caïazzo, chairman of the board of AS Saint-Étienne (Ligue 1 Conforama) and also president of the Première Ligue (union of primarily French first division clubs), in presenting a document entitled "The Weight of the Social Charges and Taxation on French Football," on 21/03/2019 (document to download).

Angers SCO (Ligue 1 Conforama) paid 15.5 times more in social charges in 2017-18 than FC Barcelona (LaLiga Santander); SM Caen (Ligue 1 Conforama) 15.5 times more than Real Madrid CF (LaLiga Santander), according to this report from the French Première Ligue union (see below).

"The employer's tax contributions are much higher in France than abroad, because the contribution rates are higher (from 30% to 40%), and we do not have a ceiling system as can exist in other parts of Europe (except for the United Kingdom, which is in the same situation as France). In addition, several countries enjoy specific benefits related to athletes for their social charge rates (Italy, Belgium and…