The French League (LFP) and French Football Federation (FFF) have reportedly requested €215 million (£196 million/$253 million) in COVID-19 relief funds from the country’s Government.
Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 – the top two football divisions in France – are expected to lose €125 million (£114 million/$147 million) in ticketing revenue and €67 million (£61 million/$79 million) in hospitality income due to limited fan attendance this season, as reported by Inside World Football.
These losses have been forecast for the period from this July to the end of December.
The requested amount from the French Government would cover these losses, and a predicted €23 million (£21 million/$27 million) loss in revenue for the FFF due to a lack of fans at the Coupe de France final and national team home games.
It may be difficult for the LFP and FFF to persuade the Government to release the money, however.
Only €100 million (£91 million/$118 million) of central funding has been earmarked by the Government to support sport in France.
Up to 5,000 supporters had been able to attend Ligue 1 games when the season started in August, but that number has since been reduced to 1,000 after a significant increase in coronavirus cases in France.
The 2019-2020 season was cancelled in April due to the pandemic, despite many other European leagues managing to complete their seasons later in the year.
The LFP renegotiated contracts with broadcasters Canal Plus and beIN Sport in May and took a reported Government loan of €224.5 million (£205 million/$263 million) to cover the loss of broadcast revenue as a result of the cancellation.
France is now experiencing record daily levels of coronavirus in the country, and has reported more than 634,000 infections and 32,300 deaths in total.
