France soccer show hit China red tape wall

Article posted by Coliseum, July 11^th, 2024

Image: Coliseum GSVA

The Champions Trophy (France) which was scheduled to take place in Beijing (China) on August 8^th will not take place this Summer.

‘L’EQUIPE’ stated that as per sources, the Professional Football League (LFP) has decided to postpone it over too much of red tapism in China.

The LFP will now set a new date and hunt for a new venue for this PSG-Monaco face-off. It will probably not take place in China. The Democratic Republic of Congo had offered to hold the soccer showpiece this Summer but was not selected. Its candidacy is more likely to get the nod for 2026 within the framework of a new format with four teams.

The match between the Ligue 1 team PSG, the French champion and winner of the Coupe de France, and their peer team AS Monaco FC, the runner-up, was initially scheduled to take place in Beijing, China, on August 8^th. This match was planned as part of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and China and the decision was taken during the President of China Xi Jinping’s State visit to France last May.

The Champions Trophy (Trophée des Champions) is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France.

Paris (France)-based the Ligue 1, officially known as the Ligue 1 McDonald’s for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men’s association football clubs and is at the top of the French football league system.

The Coupe de France, also known in English as the French Cup or less commonly as the France Cup, is the premier knockout Cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation (FFF).

The French Football Federation (FFF) is the governing body of football in France. It was formed in 1919 and is based in the France capital Paris. The FFF was a Founding Member of the FIFA and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of football in France, both professional and amateur.

The Professional Football League (Ligue de Football Professionnel), commonly known as the LFP, is a French governing body that runs the major professional football leagues in France and Monaco (country in Europe). It was founded in 1944 and serves under the French Football Federation (FFF). It is headquartered in Paris.

The Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain or simply PSG, is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of the French football league system. The 48,583-capacity Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris (France) serves as their home ground.

The AS Monaco FC is a professional football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. Although Monaco is not a part of France but is a country in Europe and a microState on the French Riviera, the AS Monaco is a member of the French Football Federation (FFF) and currently competes in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. The 18,523-capacity Louis II Stadium in Fontvieille (Monaco) serves as their home facility.

‘L’EQUIPE’ further stated that the above match has hit the China bureaucracy speedbreaker and too much of red tape has made it nigh impossible to finalize the first official match of the French season.

The LFP never received the green signal from the concerned authorities in China though the officials had traveled to Beijing to gear up for the soccer showcase. But all its preparations went in vain and finally the soccer show was gasping at the bureaucracy altar.

Continue to follow Coliseum for latest updates on venues business news. Coliseum is dedicated towards building the best global community of sports and entertainment venue executives and professionals creating better and more profitable venues.

Become a member of the only Global Sports Venue Alliance and connect with stadiums, arenas and experts from around the world. Apply for membership at coliseum-online.com/alliance and make use of the 365Coliseum Business.

Watch 380 member-exclusive videos with valuable tips for your venue