The Premier League landscape is undergoing a complete redefinition. While Lens and Marseille, a year after Strasbourg and Nantes, will join D1 next season, the women's sections of Montpellier and Dijon are on the market. Vincent Volpe, who has just sold HAC to Blue Crow but has retained control of the women's section, is also looking for a buyer. "In Le Havre, we are very attached to the women's section, but in the long term, it will probably not be a consideration for Blue Crow ," explains the American businessman. "We are currently looking for a long-term solution. It is still part of the club, but it is me rather than Blue Crow who is taking financial responsibility while we wait for the right buyer to help it grow further and further."

This quest for an investor is shared by Dijon, according to a partnership formula. "We're looking for someone who will support the club's project in the investment required for a women's section for its long-term development," explains manager Sylvain Carric. "He would be the majority shareholder in a company in which the DFCO would retain 15 to 20%. The club, in financial difficulty, is unable to continue investing in the sporting side, let alone in the development side. We're not selling for the sake of selling, nor to get rid of it." A positive approach, in Dijon as in Le Havre or Montpellier, in which the desire to completely or partially disengage, hoping for the best for the women's section, with the goal of making it sustainable, shines through.

"We had contact with four or five investors, most of them foreign."

This quest is attracting interest from potential buyers, including investment funds specializing in women's sports that already own several franchises. "We've had contact with four or five investors, most often foreign ," the LFFP explained. "They believe that French women's football is a source of growth and an economy that will develop, in which we must invest now to see a return in a few years. Sometimes, it involves a pure and simple sale. Various L1 clubs have also created companies in which they retain the majority of the shares while awaiting minority investors who will provide capital and resources, such as commercial teams." The principle of these specific sports companies is considered by the League to be complementary to "mixed" models, in reference to PSG, PFC, Strasbourg, and Lens. A promoted Artois side that, with a budget of around €2 million, intends to play an interesting role and ensure its sustainability in D1. The television rights crisis is not inevitable.

All the latest news from the Arkema Premier League