French players challenge federation over use of image in betting advertisement.
The French Football Federation (FFF) is facing protests from players called up for the World Cup. The group is questioning the use of their images in an advertising campaign by the betting company Betclic. The information was published by the newspaper "L'Équipe". Among the athletes who expressed their discontent are Kylian Mbappé, Rayan Cherki, Désiré Doué, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé.
Betclic ran an online advertisement before the match in which France was defeated by Ivory Coast. The advertisement featured five members of the French squad. Rayan Cherki was prominently featured, accompanied by Désiré Doué, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, and Kylian Mbappé.
The athletes reacted negatively to the use of their images by the betting company. The group stated that the federation did not inform them about the purpose of the photo shoot, which took place while they were on duty with the national team. The photos were allegedly taken during a session in Clairefontaine, the traditional training camp of the French national team, without the players being informed about the exact use of the material.
The Real Madrid striker and the Manchester City attacking midfielder are among those who "least liked" the campaign. Neither has ever expressed interest in promoting betting . The incident reportedly created an "extremely tense atmosphere" within the team, according to "L'Équipe".
Collective agreement established rules for image use.
In September 2023, after several months of discussions between the lawyers representing the players and the FFF, the athletes' legal representatives signed a collective agreement with the French Football Federation. The document established and regulated the participation of national team players in activities with sponsors.
The signed contract specifies that the complete collective image of the French national team corresponds to "the representation, in the same medium, in an identical or similar manner, of the image of at least five players from the squad." The betting company took this stipulation into account when creating its advertisement.
The same agreement stipulates that the federation has committed to debating the nature of sponsorships "at least twice per season" in a committee. This body includes the captain, the vice-captain, the president of the FFF, and the president of the French players' union. The aim is to prevent harm related to the personal convictions of certain athletes and the image that certain campaigns could convey.
The root of the problem does not lie with Betclic's conduct, which acted within its contractual rights. The issue involves how the French Football Federation (FFF) proceeded. Mbappé and Cherki's dissatisfaction is not directed against the sports betting operator, but rather against the French Football Federation, which allegedly failed to inform them adequately.
The relationship between the squad and the management has been tense since last Tuesday (2). The day was dedicated to FFF's commercial partners.
Mbappé's lawyer warned about risks in 2022.
In March 2022, at the beginning of the negotiations initiated by the number 10 of the national team, Mbappé's lawyer, Delphine Verheyden, had already warned about the "enormous risk of distorting the image of the players." She reinforced that, for the agreement with the French Federation to work, clear communication between the parties was necessary before any advertising was linked.
"Image is a reputation associated with values. These values are expressed, in particular, in the advertisements that players agree to participate in. It's important that players are in tune with the advertisements they participate in. They have a role as role models for a young audience," Verheyden stated.
At the end of 2024, with the image rights contract for commercial partners already finalized between the national team and the FFF (French Football Federation), Kylian Mbappé expressed concern about the consequences of the collective agreement not being respected. The French star told Canal+ that he was against the promotion of sports betting. Mbappé expressed concern about the fulfillment of the collective agreement on image rights, especially regarding the promotion of sports betting.
Both players should demand an explanation and a correction from the federation, but this can only happen after the World Cup, which is about to begin.
Previous disagreements between players and the federation
The French Football Federation and the 26 players selected by Deschamps for the World Cup had already clashed previously. In recent weeks, "L'Équipe" revealed that the group did not agree with the proposed reduction in bonuses paid for participating in the tournament.
The FFF justified the proposed cut in bonuses by presenting three main arguments. The organization claimed that the prize money distributed by FIFA fell short of expectations. The federation pointed out that the exchange rate between the dollar and the euro presented unfavorable conditions. The FFF reported that the operational costs of the World Cup would be particularly high.
The players expressed dissatisfaction with the number of tickets made available by the federation for the competition. Each player on the French squad receives two complimentary tickets from the federation for the World Cup matches. In addition to these free tickets, the athletes can purchase six more tickets to distribute among friends and family. The total of eight tickets per player was considered "insufficient" by the group.
There is no information on what measures will be taken by the federation or the players to resolve the impasse. There is also no information on a definitive resolution regarding the FFF's proposed reduction in bonuses.
The French national team will make its World Cup debut on June 16th at 16 PM (Brasilia time) against Senegal. The team will compete in Group I, which also includes Iraq and Norway. In their second group stage match, France will face Iraq before concluding the group stage against Norway.
