5 million support provided for a loss of 4

Qualified tonight for the first knockout round of the world or returned to their homes for their pitiful performance, the Blues can remain serene: sponsors continue to adulation them. "In the aftermath of the match against the South Korea, we continued to well to sell Team France swimwear and sale of 300,000 to 400,000 required will be achieved," said Emmanuelle Gabey, spokesperson of Adidas, manufacturer of the French football Federation and blues since 1972, the current contract running until 2010. "Coca-Cola will sign a new contract for the period 2006-2010, the current performance of the team has no impact on the negotiation, it is sufficient to see the figures of the matches against the Switzerland hearing and the Korea to convince themselves that their image is always also" believes Michel Gotlib, commercial Director and marketing services France.

"We are a partner in the good and bad times," says Jean-Marc Tassetto, General Manager marketing and public SFR for the purchase of mobile video rights "can demonstrate the value of 3 G technology". They are 85,000 supporters have subscribed to the service "Alerts goals", investment yet risky, the France having not marked in Cup of the world since 1998 and which was electrified, and for all, only once during the meeting against the Korea. "The agreement that we signed in may, to 2009, has as objective to increase our visibility to the general public." "Whatever the performance of the blue, we get this result", said optimistic Antoine Lenoir, Suez spokesman. Credit Agricole did not hesitate one second to sign a four year contract with the FFF, becoming one of the "official sponsor", bringing to five the number of the "Top sponsors" with Adidas, Canal , Carrefour, Suez who pay a ticket valued between 2.2 and 2.5 million euros.

"We reconfigured the marketing offer after having renegotiated the contract which links us to Sportfive in charge of the sector up to 2010," reveals Jacques Lambert, Director-General of the Federation. The first category of sponsors could open up to a newcomer to the extent the encrypted string, whose contract ends in, would not renew. "Our approach is clear: we are looking for companies embarking on time, at least three years, which do not come to make the shots", continues the head of the FFF. The second category brings together the "official partners", ten (Coca-Cola, Continental, Toyota, Ferrero, SFR, France Stadium, etc.), which negotiate a ticket to 800,000 euros, while the "official suppliers", ten also, pay 300,000 euros.

Equipping amateur clubs

This new marketing strategy has been made possible by the fact that the Federation had "restated its financial position." After three negative years (an astounding 62 euros in 2002-2003, 2.6 million in 2003-2004, 9.8 million in 2004-2005) the Federal Assembly endorsed on June 3 in Nancy, the return to equilibrium. "The provisional budget 2005-2006 to 130.5 million support provided for a loss of $ 4.6 million." "Accounts closed June 30 allow us to think that it will be positive in the amount of 1 million," said the Manager. In its forecast budget 2006-2007, the FFF table on an annual additional recipe of 25.4 million with the rights to broadcast television France team (45 million annually of TF1) and the France Cup (France TV and Eurosport to 14.2 million). But this amount is largely compromised by regulatory commissions (tax Buffet) or contract (contract with Sportifive). For the next year, should be deducted 13.4 million. In total, the amount of revenue for the period 2006-2007, out of the World Cup, was established at 144.6 million against 143.6 million for expenses. The surplus planned in respect of the participation of the World Cup is 1.7 million to 24.5 million... If the France was champion of the world. It is not there. But the new President, Jean-Pierre Escalettes, elected in February 2005, can turn the page of the era Claude Simonet (the former boss of the FFF) including the management by the Court of Auditors has led to one judicial inquiry and the other administrative conducted by the Directorate-General of competition, consumption and the repression of fraud (DGCCRF). "I was very worried about what was found on my arrival." "Now, I'm not euphoric, but calm", he said to Nancy.

Now engaged on the road to recovery, the President wants to tackle the building set for four years to come, with among other things, the move in November, boulevard de Grenelle in Paris in the former headquarters of new frontiers, the construction of a medical centre at Clairefontaine, instead of the blue training, modernization of the national technical Centre and the creation of an international Department. He also plans to restore the image of football amateur plagued by money and violence in the suburbs and asked to do this to some sponsors to refocus their investment in this direction. This is the case of Coca-Cola that launched since 1998 the project "collective foot" to equip more than 10,000 clubs fans. Effort will now focus in the direction of educators to help educate young people to respect for the ethics, with the establishment of a "Charter" and a "Protocol" at the end of the games where the amateur players shake hands as in the pros.