"At the level of each professional club, there must be the involvement of the approved supporters' associations in the management of the clubs to define the orientations of these clubs and to define together, for example, the security conditions in stadiums as well as in relation to travel," said Marie-George BuffetPrésidente du comité exécutif @ Fondation Hand'Solidaire • Députée de la Seine-Saint-Denis (4e circ.) @ Assemblée nationale (AN) , former French Minister for Sports (within Lionel Jospin's government, from 04/06/1997 to 06/05/2002), to News Tank Football on 16/09/2022.
The co-rapporteur of the joint inquiry on stadium bans and supporterism at the Assemblée Nationale (report delivered on 22/05/2020) will take part in the debate on "the role of ultras in clubs" on Tuesday 04/10/2022 at 14:15 CET on the occasion of Think Football 2022, whose afternoon will be dedicated to the development of French football, at the FFFFédération Française de Football (French Football Federation)
headquarters in Paris (FRA). The event will be held entirely in French.
Marie-George Buffet will be accompanied by Pierre Barthélemy, lawyer at Jones Day and volunteer defender of the French National Supporters' Association, and by Xavier PierrotDirecteur général adjoint en charge du stade et du projet d'arena @ Olympique Lyonnais (OL) , deputy general manager in charge of stadium and arena at Olympique LyonnaisActivity: French professional club (men's and women's teams)
Premium Partners:
• adidas (equipment supplier) 2010-2025
• Fly Emirates (airline company): main shirt sponsor for Ligue 1 Uber Eats…
(Ligue 1 Uber EatsName of the French Ligue 1 championship for the 2020-2022 cycle.
Uber Eats, a home meal delivery application and subsidiary of Uber an independent driver mobile application, has become the title…
). This exchange will be an opportunity to discuss the situation of ultras in France, their relation with the clubs, security in stadiums as well as travel for supporters.
"The example of Paris Saint-GermainActivity: French professional football club
Top sponsors:
• Nike (equipment supplier): €20m per year from 2014-15 to 2021-22, between €70-90m for the 2019-2032 cycle• Qatar Airways (airline)…
(Ligue 1 Uber Eats) has shown that sporting success and the presence of stars are not enough to make a club successful. It was the players and the traditional fans who expressly asked the club's management for the return of the ultras and an end to the Leproux Plan by interrupting president Nasser Al-KhelaïfiChairman @ European Club Association (ECA) • Member of the executive committee @ UEFA • President @ beIN Media Group • Chairman and CEO @ Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) • Chairman @ Qatar Sports…
's speech at the Ligue 1 trophy presentation in spring 2016. The question is not so much whether ultras are part of the future of French professional football, but rather how to bring together all types of supporters in the stands, without ever neglecting safety or the feeling of safety that should be present in the mind of each supporter," said Pierre BarthélémyAvocat - Collaborateur en droit public des affaires @ Jones Day .
"The need to communicate and exchange in order to get along and understand each other has never been so important in our stadiums. This permanent dialogue may not be the solution to everything, but it remains one of the foundations for what we build together over the course of the seasons," said Xavier Pierrot.
"Important to maintain a balance that guarantees fundamental freedoms and public peace in and around stadiums" (M-G. Buffet)
• But it was also important to maintain a balance that would guarantee fundamental freedoms and public peace in and around stadiums.
• We have made a series of proposals, particularly concerning the role of fans in stadium management. I think that the creation of supporters' associations should be encouraged and given national visibility.
• It is also necessary that, at the level of each professional club, there should be the involvement of approved supporters' associations in the management of the clubs to define the orientations of these clubs and to define together, for example, the security conditions in stadiums as well as in relation to travel."
Marie-George Buffet, 16/09/2022
To register for Think Football 2022 (limited number of places available), click here!
09:00: introductory remarks and words from our ambassador
PART 1 - a game-changing World Cup!
09:30 - Qatar 2022: what will be its legacy?
09:50 - Competition formats for making football more attractive
Olivier Létang, president of LOSC Lille (Ligue 1 Uber EatsName of the French Ligue 1 championship for the 2020-2022 cycle.
Uber Eats, a home meal delivery application and subsidiary of Uber an independent driver mobile application, has become the title…
)
Jérôme Perlemuter, general secretary, World Leagues Forum
Sylvain Kastendeuch, co-president of the UNFPUnion Nationale des Footballeurs Professionnels, National Union of Professional Footballers
David Terrier, vice-president of the UNFP
Pierre Ferracci, president of Paris FC
10:40 - Networking
Coffee break
11:00 - A World Cup at the end of the year, what does this mean for broadcasters?
Julien Millereux, director of sports at TF1
11:45 - Qatar 2022, challenges and partner activations
Damien Neymarc, marketing manager France, Hisense
Jean-Manuel Caparros, head of communication & digital, Volkswagen France
Arnaud Gouénard, head of football sponsorships, Uber Eats France
12:30 - TikTok, a strategic platform serving fan communities and players in the sports economy
Emile Follorou, content partnerships manager sports France & Belgium, TikTok
12:50 - Cocktail reception
A welcome break after a content-heavy morning! The opportunity to update your network, to exchange with friends and make new acquaintances.
PART 2 - Developments for French football
14:15 - The role of ultras in clubs
Pierre Barthélémy, associate lawyer in public business law, Jones Day
Xavier Pierrot, general manager in charge of the stadium and arena, Olympique Lyonnais (OL Groupe)
Marie-George Buffet, former French Minister of Sports and former Member of Parliament, co-rapporteur of the joint inquiry on stadium bans and supporterism at the National Assembly
14:50 - What is the role of football unions?
Alain Belsoeur, president of the UAF (Union des Acteurs du Football)
Philippe Piat, co-president of the UNFP
Raymond Domenech, president of UNECATEFFrench National Union of Professional Football Coaches and Technical Staff
Olivier Lamarre, president of SAFEThe Syndicat des Arbitres du Football d'Elite (Syndicate of Elite Football Referees, SAFE) is a French union created in 2006, representing the football referees of the French professional football…
and member of LFP's board of directors
15:25 - How can we sustainably boost women's football?
Aline Riera, treasurer general of the FFF and consultant on Canal+
Fabien Safanjon, vice-president of the UNFP
Eugénie Le Sommer, secretary general of the UNFP and professional player
Gilles Galinier, communications director at Arkema
16:10 - Benefits and impact of the LFP's commercial company
Présidente du comité exécutif @ Fondation Hand'Solidaire • Députée de la Seine-Saint-Denis (4e circ.) @ Assemblée nationale (AN)
Fédération Française de Football (French Football Federation)
headquarters in Paris (FRA). The event will be held entirely in French.
Directeur général adjoint en charge du stade et du projet d'arena @ Olympique Lyonnais (OL)
Activity: French professional club (men's and women's teams)
Premium Partners:
• adidas (equipment supplier) 2010-2025
• Fly Emirates (airline company): main shirt sponsor for Ligue 1 Uber Eats…
(Ligue 1 Uber Eats
Name of the French Ligue 1 championship for the 2020-2022 cycle. 
Activity: French professional football club
Top sponsors:
• Nike (equipment supplier): €20m per year from 2014-15 to 2021-22, between €70-90m for the 2019-2032 cycle• Qatar Airways (airline)…
(Ligue 1 Uber Eats) has shown that sporting success and the presence of stars are not enough to make a club successful. It was the players and the traditional fans who expressly asked the club's management for the return of the ultras and an end to the Leproux Plan by interrupting president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi
Chairman @ European Club Association (ECA) • Member of the executive committee @ UEFA • President @ beIN Media Group • Chairman and CEO @ Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) • Chairman @ Qatar Sports…
's speech at the Ligue 1 trophy presentation in spring 2016. The question is not so much whether ultras are part of the future of French professional football, but rather how to bring together all types of supporters in the stands, without ever neglecting safety or the feeling of safety that should be present in the mind of each supporter," said Pierre Barthélémy
Avocat - Collaborateur en droit public des affaires @ Jones Day
Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionnels, National Union of Professional Footballers
French National Union of Professional Football Coaches and Technical Staff
The Syndicat des Arbitres du Football d'Elite (Syndicate of Elite Football Referees, SAFE) is a French union created in 2006, representing the football referees of the French professional football…
