McCourt Breaks His Silence: Thunderbolt over the French League!

Context: An Unlikely OM–Lens Alliance

No one saw this coming. Just days before the Ligue 1 general assembly, Frank McCourt (OM) and Joseph Oughourlian (Lens) joined forces in a joint interview with Le Figaro. An improbable but explosive duo, accusing the LFP of having “abandoned the clubs” and calling for immediate reform. A rare public intervention for OM’s American owner, nine years after his arrival, usually known for avoiding controversy and microphones.

Broken Promises, a System at the End of the Road

McCourt didn’t hold back: “The LFP no longer represents the clubs… It’s a failure.” Since his arrival, he says, he has heard “countless broken promises.” The breaking point? The Lafon bill proposal, for which the League submitted a report to politicians without ever consulting the clubs. For him, today’s governance is “opaque, inefficient, irrational” and must be swept away.

Oughourlian backed him up with numbers: the TV rights fiasco, failed promises, the botched DAZN deal, and uncertainty around Ligue 1+. “The LFP has failed in its mission… and even worse, it has abandoned the clubs,” thundered the Lens president.

Why It Matters for OM and French Football

Behind the fiery words lies a brutal reality: Ligue 1 lost €1.3 billion in 2023. How can it attract talent, keep its best players, or compete with Serie A or the Bundesliga with such hemorrhaging?

McCourt put it bluntly: “What company would accept such results while keeping the same management?”

For Marseille, a flagship club and a popular locomotive, the stakes couldn’t be clearer: without a strong League and fair distribution, there’s no way to build a sustainable project against PSG and Europe’s giants.

Oughourlian added: “We’ve already gone from 20 to 18 clubs. Keep going like this and we’ll end up with 12…” A dying league, hollowed out by inequality and widening financial gaps—that’s the specter they are warning against.

Naming Names: Labrune, Opacity, and the Weight of PSG

While never named directly, LFP president Vincent Labrune was clearly targeted. His “lack of transparency” and vanishing promises were squarely in the crosshairs. Oughourlian did, however, praise Nicolas de Tavernost (head of LFP Media), proof in his eyes that “when competent people handle the dossiers, the results follow.”

As for Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, McCourt pointed out the paradox: “For him, the League works because it works well for PSG. But we see things very differently.” Behind the jab lies a blunt truth: the current system benefits Paris first and foremost.

Their Project: A Rebuilt League, One Club = One Vote

McCourt and Oughourlian’s proposal is simple: strip down to two entities—professional clubs on one side, the FFF on the other—working hand in hand. “One club, one vote,” McCourt insists, modeled on the Premier League or US leagues.

They also stress that reform must be led by the clubs themselves, otherwise “politicians will do it for us,” they warned. And this time, the threat is real: the French Senate and the FFF have already kicked off discussions.

Revolution or Last Stand?

Both men reject the idea that they might sell their clubs. “We’re not just shareholders,” insisted McCourt, “but owners committed to our clubs and their identity.” Both want to turn crisis into opportunity.

They see Ligue 1+, the new digital tool launched by de Tavernost, as a source of hope—if the clubs unite to make it a real, modern product, aligned with what fans expect. “Locker room access, behind-the-scenes, player stories… Let’s finally deliver what the fans deserve,” McCourt urged.

The Moment of Truth

Next Wednesday’s Ligue 1 general assembly promises to be electric. McCourt and Oughourlian have opened hostilities. The question now is whether other presidents will join the rebellion—or if the iron curtain will hold a little longer.

In Marseille, the message is clear: OM will no longer accept being dragged down by a League that is sinking. The time of broken promises is over—the time for reform must begin.

And you, supporters: should the League be shaken to its core? Or will this alarm call end up as just another cry lost at sea?