LFP/CVC/Le Havre AC: interim relief judge declines jurisdiction, hearing on the case on 25/02/2024

The interim relief judge of the Paris Court of First Instance ruled that he had no jurisdiction over the case between Le Havre AC (Ligue 1 Uber Eats) and the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), in an order issued on 16/01/2024. The magistrate considers that the complainant should have turned to the administrative court.

At the root of this case is the agreement between the LFP and the Luxembourg investment fund CVC Capital Partners, which provides for an investment of €1.5bn in French professional football in exchange for 13% of the commercial company created in July 2022 and subsequently named "LFP Media".

This agreement was "confirmed by an overwhelming majority," stated the League at the end of the general meeting of professional clubs held by videoconference on 23/11/2023 (minutes available to download in French). "How can we debate seriously when 50 of us are behind our own screens? A logical question, yet rejected by the LFP, which has maintained this inappropriate format," said Le Havre AC on 26/12/2023.

The Normandy club, which was promoted to the Ligue 1 Uber Eats in 2023…