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SportsFrench Football Federation signs Zidane, bypassing new sports governance salary cap
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The French Football Federation (FFF) has signed Zinédine Zidane as the new coach of the French national team with a salary exceeding €450,000 gross per year, bypassing a newly enacted sports governance law that caps such remuneration. The law, adopted on July 20-21, sets a €450,000 annual cap for federation executives, with possible waivers from the Ministry of Sports. However, because Zidane's contract was signed before the law's implementing decrees were published, the FFF will not seek a waiver, keeping his exact salary confidential. Sports Minister Marina Ferrari has publicly disagreed with the salary cap, stating it is not the state's role to intervene in private structure remuneration. The official announcement of Zidane's recruitment is set for Tuesday at the FFF headquarters, following an executive committee meeting to confirm the decision by FFF President Philippe Diallo.
Source report
The French Football Federation (FFF) has moved ahead of the recently adopted "law on the governance of professional sport," which introduces significant changes to the structure and oversight of sports organizations in France.
New Salary Cap Legislation
The law, which notably transforms the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) into a "club company," covers a range of topics including the remuneration of executives and employees of sports federations.
On July 8, a joint committee of the Senate and National Assembly decided to set a salary cap at €450,000 gross per year — the same limit applied to "the chairman of the board of directors of a state-owned industrial and commercial establishment." The text was formally adopted in public session at the National Assembly and the Senate on July 20 and 21.
Zidane Contract and Waiver Process
While it is possible to exceed this cap with a waiver from the Ministry of Sports, this step will ultimately not be necessary. The contract between Zinédine Zidane and the FFF has just been signed, and the implementing decrees for the new law have not yet been published.
As a result, the FFF will not request ministry approval to exceed the now-authorized threshold — which would have been required "quite significantly." This also means the remuneration of the former Juventus and Real Madrid playmaker will remain confidential.
Federation's Position and Minister's Stance
The FFF could have chosen to seek the opinion of its supervisory ministry but decided not to do so. This decision aligns with the position of Marina Ferrari, the Minister of Sports, who has repeatedly stated that she does not want to interfere in the matter.
Speaking on RTL on Monday, Ferrari emphasized that the law was "not a government initiative text" and that she had "expressed her disagreement on the subject" of salary caps and waivers. She explained: "I believe it is not up to the state to intervene in the remuneration of a private structure."
She added: "The Federation has very significant own resources that do not depend on the Ministry of Sports. But there is an agreement between parliamentarians, between deputies and senators. So be it."
Official Announcement
The official announcement of Zidane's recruitment will take place on Tuesday during a press conference at the FFF headquarters. Earlier in the morning, the Federation's executive committee will meet to "confirm" the choice made by Philippe Diallo, the body's president.
Source
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Part of this Story
French Parliament Raises Salary Cap to Enable Zinedine Zidane as National Coach