OM: McCourt and Oughourlian take the fight to Labrune and Nasser

Weakened leadership at the LFP

Speaking on RMC, Daniel Riolo didn't mince his words: "As long as nothing changes within the LFP, we're stuck with the duo that has dragged French football into the gutter." In his view, Labrune's leadership is more contested than ever. If the presidential vote were held today, a majority of clubs would turn against him. The era of fragile consensus is over.

The McCourt–Oughourlian alliance, a turning point

This is the big announcement at the start of the season: Frank McCourt, long silent, is finally going to step into the fray. And not alone: he'll do so alongside Joseph Oughourlian, the RC Lens owner and a leading opposition figure. "A strong club like OM needs to bare its teeth. It's a big moment," Riolo insisted. This joint statement, said to be imminent, could become the starting point for a genuine counterweight. Behind this duo, several clubs are ready to follow: Nice, Toulouse, Nantes, Strasbourg…

Between resistance and divergent interests

Obviously, the opposition won't be unanimous. Some clubs, like Lille or Rennes, remain tied to Labrune's networks or Qatar's economic interests. But the momentum is clear: a majority is distancing itself from the current leadership. The upcoming vote on the LFP board of directors—three seats for four candidates, three of them hostile to Labrune—will be a decisive test.

Nasser and the issue of TV rights

Another front: TV rights. Riolo condemned Nasser Al-Khelaïfi's attitude: "Nasser doesn't understand the importance of a competitive Ligue 1. He only thinks about what he's going to pocket." The Canal+–beIN–Ligue 1+ war has only worsened tensions, to the point of ongoing lawsuits over tens of millions of euros. In this chaos, the idea of a new balance championed by McCourt and Oughourlian carries even more weight.

For Daniel Riolo, that says it all: "The headline is that McCourt is teaming up with Oughourlian to denounce the LFP's failures and incompetence." After years of silence, OM is coming out into the open. If the opposition truly takes shape, this may be a turning point in the recent history of French football.