French football is set to go on strike at the end of November to protest against the proposed 75% tax on income above one million euros, which is championed by the President of France, François Hollande. The strike will lead to empty stadiums during the 15th day of Ligue 1 and the 16th day of Ligue 2.
The decision to strike was announced at the “Football in Danger” conference held in Paris, with Jean-Pierre Louvel, the president of the Union of Professional Football Clubs (UCPF), leading the charge. The French clubs are united in their determination to oppose the 75% tax on high incomes, and they plan to make a statement by observing a weekend without matches at the end of November.
Louvel stated, “We are facing a historic movement, unanimously, with real determination to save football, with a weekend without a match at the end of November.”
This strike marks a significant moment in French football, reminiscent of the last strike in 1972 when players demanded decisions from club presidents regarding the freely determined contract innovation introduced three years earlier.
As a result of the strike, high-profile matches, including PSG vs. Lyon, Marseille vs. Montpellier, and Monaco vs. Rennes, are likely to be affected. The full program for the 15th day of Ligue 1 includes:
- Bastia vs. Evian/Thonon
- Bordeaux vs. Ajaccio
- Guingamp vs. Nantes
- Lorient vs. Nice
- Marseille vs. Montpellier
- Monaco vs. Rennes
- Saint-Etienne vs. Reims
- Toulouse vs. Sochaux
- Valenciennes vs. Lille
- Paris SG vs. Lyon
