SPORTFIVE's contract with FFF to be annulled

The French Football Federation's (FFF) four-year contract with marketing company SPORTFIVE is likely to be annulled by a French court. Former president Claude Simonet, who was replaced by Jean-Claude Escalettes last month, had signed a deal with SPORTFIVE seven months before his departure but it had not gone out to legal tender. The deal, which included the television and marketing rights for the national team and the French Cup from 2006 to 2010, earned the federation (FFF) €10 million. Two previous similar contracts, for the 1994-1998 and the 1998-2002 terms, were annulled by a French court in May 2004. The Federation has appealed but would be forced to pay back the proceeds if failed. "The deals between the FFF and France Football Promotion (a SPORTFIVE subsidiary) for the 1994-98 and the 1998-2002 periods are null since no prior legal tender offer has been made," the ruling said. Should the court rule out the new deal, the FFF would be obliged to refund €10 millions to SPORTFIVE. The FFF is running a €2.6 million deficit.

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