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PSG's sponsor threatens to withhold payment if season not completed

Paris Saint-Germain's main shirt sponsor says it may not make its next payment to the club if the...



PSG's sponsor threatens to wit...
Soccer

PSG's sponsor threatens to withhold payment if season not completed

Paris Saint-Germain's main shirt sponsor says it may not make its next payment to the club if the 2019-20 season is not completed. 

Accor is Europe's largest hospitality company, and the sixth largest in the world.

The French company signed a deal with the Parisian club in 2019 to replace Emirates as their shirt sponsor, with Accor paying PSG a reported €50million a season for the privilege.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has not only suspended the French season but also decimated the hospitality industry.

Accor are due to make their next payment on July 1, but their CEO Sébastien Bazin says they will only do so once Ligue 1 has resumed.

"Sponsors cannot give money if there is no visibility. On July 1, the season would have to start again, otherwise it will probably not be paid", Bazin told BFMTV.

"For me, this season must resume", he added.

The French Football Federation (FFF) held a meeting today to discuss their next steps during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, the FFF say it would be "premature" to call an end to the season now, much as has been done in Belgium.

They say failure to resume the season when health conditions allow "could be catastrophic in terms of the social role that football plays in society, every day, across the country."

The FFF say they will only make a decision on whether to halt the season or continue once government containment measures have come to a close in France.

Ten rounds of the Ligue 1 season remain, but the Federation say they would consider a partial completion of the season as it is out of the question to impose an "unrealistic" timeframe on clubs.

They've also ruled out cancelling promotion and relegation for the season.

The FFF have also guaranteed cash advances to clubs who find themselves in financial trouble as a result of the coronavirus shutdown.

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Accor Coronavirus Covid-19 FFF French Football Federation Ligue 1 PSG Paris Saint Germain