L1/L2: "We'll have a deficit of between €1.2-€1.3bn before players are sold" (J-M. Mickeler, DNCG)

"We'll be looking at a deficit of between €1.2 and €1.3bn (for Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs, at the end of the 2024-25 season) before any players are sold. That's as high as the year of Covid. Over the last few years, French football has structurally lost an average of around €1bn a year before player transfers. Between €300m and €500m a year afterwards. Even if shareholders have the means to cover these losses, it doesn't make any sense," said Jean-Marc Mickeler, president of the DNCG, in an interview with the French reigonal daily Ouest-France on 23/05/2025.

"Financially, French football can't go any lower. Any lower and we'd be out of business. But we are relatively confident in the proven ability of a certain number of shareholders to take advantage of the moment to change things," added Mickeler, with professional clubs due to appear before the regulatory body on Tuesday 27/05/2025.

"Depending on the shareholders' ability or willingness to do something or not to do something, it isn't out of the question that there could be one or more administrative relegations this season. There…