The captains of the teams in the French championship denounce the lack of progress in negotiations on a collective agreement, expected for several years.
This is no longer acceptable: the captains of the women’s teams in the French championship announce the lack of progress in negotiations on the collective agreement for professional footballers, which has been expected for three seasons.
On this subject, the different parties, including the players’ union, the UNFP union (National Union of Professional Footballers) and Foot Unis, which represents the clubs, attribute the responsibility for this failure to each other, despite the creation of the Professional Women’s Football League (LFFP) in July 2024. Since that date, the status of professional female players in France has not progressed, even though clubs had adopted a recommendation granting maternity protection to players, hoping for a collective agreement to be signed shortly after.
“Efforts have been made since the creation of the LFFP, we acknowledge that. But the essential is missing: a collective agreement,” denounced the captains of the first and second divisions in a forum on Tuesday. “In 2026, professional female players still do not have one. We practice the same sport. We train with the same level of demand. We face the same physical constraints and risks. And yet, we do not have the same protections,” they added, stating “this gap is no longer understandable. It is no longer acceptable.”
“It’s handicapping”
According to the UNFP, “it has been three years since negotiations for a collective agreement have not been concluded. It is no longer understandable,” and “a collective agreement must be signed before the next season.”
But at this point, everything indicates that the implementation of such a measure for next September seems unlikely. On April 9, the captain of the French team Griedge Mbock regretted to AFP this situation knowing “that other championships are progressing and we are still stuck on certain points: it is handicapping for French women’s football.”
Regarding this collective agreement, several points of contention existed but only one persists today: the right to image, as indicated by Vincent Ponsot, president of the women’s football council at Foot Unis. On the issue of image rights, the UNFP wants to be able to market players’ images using the clubs’ logos, which Foot Unis refuses.
For the rest – the end-of-career bonus, the minimum hourly duration of part-time contracts, salary maintenance in case of injury, or the management of “loans,” a practice used by clubs to get rid of unwanted players – discussions have been fruitful between UNFP and club representatives, according to Foot Unis.
“An unacceptable situation”
“I am not surprised that players are becoming impatient because this situation is unacceptable for women’s football,” says Vincent Ponsot to AFP, believing that the UNFP is “the main responsible party” for the last sticking point.
According to Foot Unis, a revised version with the maintenance of a player’s salary for 90 days in case of injury was sent to UNFP several weeks ago, but they did not respond. Interrogated by AFP, the players’ union deplores this situation, emphasizing that three out of four representative organizations (excluding Foot Unis) reached an agreement on a collective agreement for the 3rd division of men’s league in six months.
“We hope that a mirror effect of this agreement will apply to the players,” said Fabien Safanjon, vice-president of UNFP to AFP. On his part, Paul-Hervé Douillard, general manager of LFFP, hopes for a convention “as soon as possible” as it will be “an important marker for the structuring of the league,” although he is “unable to give a date” but, it is certain, “it will happen one day.”
LFFP, which is not the decision-maker, aims to bring together all stakeholders again. This forum comes at a complicated time for women’s teams in France, burdened by the economic crisis affecting men’s clubs due to the collapse of TV rights.
The most emblematic example is the case of Dijon’s women’s section, fifth in the Premier League, which could abandon professionalism and start at a lower level if the club does not find a buyer.
