New League member: Ligue de Football Professionnel

New League member: Ligue de Football Professionnel

EFDN is proud to announce the French Ligue de Football Professionnel as a new member. Apart from the 135 related member clubs, the LFP is the 10th League or Football Association that joins the network.

With this partnership, EFDN and LFP will be able to highlight the social initiatives of French Football clubs. ‘We join a unique network that will enable us to learn, share, and contribute to making football in France more responsible. We would be delighted to share the +3000 social and environmental actions per season conducted by our clubs as well as our experience in implementing our CSR strategy,’ as stated by the LFP.

In France, the LFP is responsible for managing Professional football activities in France, according to the French Football Federation regulations. It is competent to undertake all decisions regarding the organisation and the development of professional football in the two top levels of French football.. The LFP organises, manages, and regulates the Ligue 1 Uber Eats, the Ligue 2 BKT, the Champions Trophy, the EA Ligue 1 Games and the eligue1.

The main objectives of LFP’s CSR strategy are to assist and advise our clubs, initiate national awareness campaigns, and promote these good practices throughout our networks, nationally and internationally.

The LFP CSR strategy focuses on three main pillars:

• Fighting against all types of discrimination,
• Protecting the environment,
• Childhood protection.

Their plan to fight against all types of discrimination is based on three means of action :

Raising awareness among the general public (with dedicated championships days and/or digital campaigns),
Education and prevention through awareness-raising workshops (tailormade for each specific public: players, coaches, team managers, administrative staff, or even supporters),
Identifying and following behaviours in stadiums (online reporting form, and working with Bodyguard to fight online hate speech).

Regarding the protection of the environment, the LFP and the clubs are moving forward to assess their carbon footprint and define a low carbon strategy. We are also continuously working with our entire ecosystem to suppress single-use plastic, develop responsible catering, improve sustainable transportation, and reduce waste.

Thirdly, the LFP and the clubs are raising awareness about Childhood Protection, to relay the 119 number, a specific helpline for victims or witnesses by organising a dedicated matchday on the field combined with a big tournament for hundreds of kids.

Another long-term programme is the full support of professional football to the Bleuet de France, the National Office for war veterans and victims of terrorist attacks. With Frank Leboeuf as our ambassador, a dedicated matchday is organised every year in November since 2018, to raise awareness and to remember. 150 football jerseys embroidered with the Bleuet were sold at auction, raising 55.000€ for the Bleuet de France.

Hubert Rovers, CEO of EFDN: “With the LFP we get a very important league in Europe as a member. It will enable us to explore but also learn from all the great initiatives being organised by French professional clubs in the two highest divisions of the country. I’m very much looking forward to our cooperation on all kinds of levels.’