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Summary
The market for amateur soccer clubs in France has seen growing interest, particularly highlighted by the increase in the number of female licensees following the organization of the Women's World Cup, with a significant 220,352 players registered. Soccer continues to dominate as the sport with the highest number of licensees, with over 2.18 million.
Nike and Adidas hold around 85% of the French soccer equipment market, but brands such as Macron have a strong presence in the amateur arena. Questions relating to the financing of amateur clubs depend largely on allocations from the FFF, which, through its Fonds d'aide au soccer amateur (FAFA), allocates around 17 million euros a year.
Geographically, the concentration of soccer clubs varies, with regions such as Ile de France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Hauts de France home to the majority of licensees. Licensing costs for soccer players differ from region to region, with clubs facing equipment costs ranging from 4405 to 6410 euros.
Finally, emerging variants of soccer, such as futsal and cecifoot, are gaining in popularity and expanding the amateur soccer landscape in France.
Growing interest and participation in French amateur soccer
Over the past few years, the amateur soccer club market in France has experienced a notable upward trend, reflecting a marked interest in the sport among the French population.
One remarkable aspect of this growing trend is the substantial increase in female participation in amateur soccer. The number of female licensees has risen not only in terms of players, but also in terms of women taking on leadership roles and participating in regional or local management committees.
As far as the economic impact of soccer is concerned, the French sports market has been estimated at around 90 billion euros in 2020, or 3.9% of the country's GDP. Soccer clubs, mostly amateur with a smaller proportion of professional establishments, make up a significant part of this flourishing sector. The French Football Federation (FFF) has allocated a budget of almost 87 million euros to support amateur soccer for the 2020-2021 season.
The popularity of soccer in France cannot be overestimated, with around 39% of French people expressing an interest in the sport, and almost half saying they play soccer more or less regularly. Of those who play soccer, almost 45% do so as part of a club or association.
In terms of segmentation, the FFF holds a dominant position, with sales in excess of 236 million euros. Macron stands out in the field of amateur soccer equipment, with sales of 245 million euros, while giants such as Adidas and Nike, with sales of 21 and 46.7 billion euros respectively, dominate the sports equipment industry as a whole. Macron's importance is particularly interesting considering that it is less well known than its larger counterparts.
The amateur soccer market in France is also characterized by diversified variants such as futsal, beach soccer and corporate soccer. These, along with cecifoot and wheelchair soccer, have contributed to the acquisition of tens of thousands of additional licenses, broadening the scope of the market. Regulation plays a crucial role in shaping this market, with the FFF setting the framework for player transfers and the Code du Sport dictating organization and practices within the sporting community.
Key players in the dynamics of the French amateur soccer market
The French amateur soccer landscape is a vibrant tapestry woven by a diverse group of organizations and brands, each making a distinct contribution to the fabric of the game. Here's a look at the key players steering the market towards an enthusiastic future.
- The French Football Federation (FFF)
At the heart of the French soccer ecosystem lies the FFF, an organization that not only governs the professional echelons of the sport, but also nurtures and regulates the amateur sphere. With a vast network of clubs under its auspices, the federation's influence is paramount in shaping policy, providing financial assistance through various funds and the overall development of soccer at all levels.
- Macron
This Italian brand is establishing itself as a notable figure in the amateur club market, standing out from the noise generally dominated by the big global players. Macron's rise reflects its growing appeal and commitment to providing quality equipment tailored to the specific needs of amateur teams, as evidenced by its growing market presence, not only at national level, but also in various European territories.
- Puma, Adidas and Nike
These three sportswear behemoths occupy a prominent place in the French soccer market, each vying for supremacy in both the professional and amateur arenas. Their strategic partnerships with clubs, widespread marketing and state-of-the-art equipment make them influential players in shaping purchasing decisions and fashion trends in the world of soccer.
- Other niche and emerging brands
Brands such as Kappa, Uhlsport, Patrick and Jako, while not as extensive as the aforementioned giants, play a crucial role in diversifying market offerings and meeting the needs of specific segments of the amateur soccer scene. They offer choices that can better match the budgets, values or preferences of different clubs and players, enabling the market to remain dynamic and competitive.
This set of key players, with their distinct roles and contributions, drives the amateur soccer market in France. They collectively embrace an ethos of growth and inclusion, attracting more participants to the sport and enriching the experience of everyone involved, from grassroots soccer clubs to Sunday league enthusiasts.
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- Number of pages : 30 pages
- Format : Digital and PDF versions
- Last update : 21/03/2023
Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of study
The amateur soccer clubs market includes all French soccer players who are not classified as professionals (i.e. all French soccer players excluding Ligue 1 and Ligue 2). In France, soccer is managed and administered by the French Football Federation and the Amateur Football League (part of the FFF).
The market for amateur soccer clubs thus encompasses the amateur licensees of the soccer federation, the clubs' governing bodies, the equipment manufacturers, the clubs' structures and so on. Although soccer, France's favorite sport with 2.18 million licensees in 2021, has seen a decline in interest in recent years, the number of amateur footballers has risen steadily.interest in recent years, the discipline has been given a major boost by two events: the 2018 Men's World Cup, and the organization in Paris of the 2019 Women's World Cup (220,352 registered players).
French amateur soccer is thus seeing a big increase in the number of female licensees, both in terms of players but also managers and regional or local management committees.
There are many equipment manufacturers in France who dress amateur soccer, including Puma, Adidas and Nike, as well as lesser-known names such as Macron, Eldera and Elima.
1.2 The national market for amateur soccer clubs
The French sports market
In ****, the French sports market was worth ** billion euros, representing *.*% of GDP(***).
Economic weight of sport France, ****, in Source: ****
The soccer market
For the ****-**** season, soccer remains the sport with the most licensees, with over *.** million, ahead of tennis (***)[***]
For the ****-**** season, the French Football ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 Who are soccer fans in France?
Generally speaking, soccer is one of the most popular sports in France. In fact, **% of French people say they are interested in the sport, **% follow it and **% have a good image of it. According to an Ipsos survey, it is especially among families that football has a good image (***).
French interest ...
2.2 FFF licensees
The FFF (***) is France's no. * federation in terms of the number of members, with **% of total licenses in the Olympic single-sport federations. In comparison, the tennis federation accounts for **.*% of French members, and horse-riding for *.*%.
Sports licenses (***) France, ****, in Source: ****
The number of FFF licensees has been rising almost continuously since ...
2.3 The rise of women's soccer
Women's soccer, and in particular amateur women's soccer, has been growing rapidly in recent years, both in terms of interest among the population and the number of female licensees.
According to a study carried out by Odoxa in December ****, **% of French people have already watched a women's soccer match, whereas in ...
3 Market structure
3.1 Institutional players in French amateur soccer
The French Football Federation
In ****, the FFF will have **,*** amateur clubs and ** professional clubs (***), *** employees and ***,*** volunteers. At the end of the ****-**** financial year, its sales exceeded *** million euros, the majority of which came from partnerships and TV fees [***].
Breakdown of FFF sales France, ****-**** Source: ****
Source: ****
The Amateur Football ...
3.2 Financing amateur soccer clubs
Amateur soccer is heavily dependent on the FFF for its funding, and on the subsidies that this central body grants to amateur clubs.
The FFF's funding of amateur clubs is based on a number of levers:
An annual budget allocated by the Fonds d'Aide au Football Amateur (***). According to the FFF, ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 Geographical distribution of clubs and members
Soccer in France is very much linked to the geography of the country, and some regions stand out in terms of club numbers. The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region boasts the largest number of clubs, with *,*** , followed by the Grand Est (***).
Number of soccer clubs by region France, ****, in number of clubs Source: ...
4.2 The cost to clubs and soccer fans
FFF license prices
The price of soccer licenses is set by each region. There is an imposed federal share, but it remains minimal: * euro for U*-U** categories, *.* euros for U**-U** categories, *.* euros for U** to senior/veteran categories. The Ligue de Bretagne has the lowest prices for almost all ...
4.3 Diversified soccer
The term "diversified soccer" refers to all soccer variants. According to the latest FFF report, this officially includes futsal, beach soccer, company soccer and leisure soccer. Cécifoot and wheelchair soccer are also included. In ****, the FFF counted **,*** licenses nationwide.
Cécifoot : an official discipline since ****, cécifoot is now recognized ...
5 Regulations
5.1 Transfer rules in amateur soccer
Transfers in amateur soccer are governed by the FFF's General Regulations. [***]
Transfers may concern all age categories from U** upwards.
The same player can change club up to * times in the course of a season. The soccer year is divided into * periods, each with its own transfer rules:
Normal period (***): players ...
5.2 The sports code and regulations
The reference text in this field is the Sports Code, published between **** (***), regulating * aspects of sporting life:
Organization of physical and sporting activities Sports players Methods of practising sport, safety and hygiene of sports facilities Financing of sport and provisions applicable to overseas territories
The regulations have undergone significant changes for ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Player segmentation
National, National * and National * league equipment supplier rankings France, ****-****, in *Joma, Kipsta, Le Coq Sportif, Skita, Errea, hummel, Eldera, Erima, Ô Sports, Acerbis, Craft, Lotto, Luanvi, New Balance, SportsCo. Passion Source: ****
List of charts
- Economic weight of sport
- FFF sales
- Form of soccer practice
- French interest in soccer
- Frequency of soccer practice
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Latest news
Adidas still going strong despite the Kanye West scandal. - 20/11/2023
- Adidas had a colossal stock of Yeezy sneakers, estimated at over a billion euros.
- Yeezy sneaker sales accounted for 7% of Adidas sales.
- Adidas organized two massive destocking operations, generating 400 million euros in the first online sale and almost the same amount in the second.
- Resale prices for Yeezy sneakers vary between 100 and 300 euros.
Vietnam: Nike and Adidas subcontractor lays off 6,000 workers - 13/05/2023
- Vietnamese footwear manufacturer produces for Nike and Adidas
- Vietnam is one of the world's largest exporters of textiles, footwear and furniture.
- 6000 permanent employees of PouYuen Vietnam will lose their jobs.
- PouYuen is Ho Chi Minh City's largest employer with almost 50,000 employees.
- The slowdown affected the footwear, clothing, construction and agri-food industries.
- More than 630,000 people lost their jobs or saw their working hours reduced in 2022, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Labor.
Puma launches a 100% Made in France collection - 04/04/2023
- - Puma launches a new clothing collection developed entirely in France and distributed by Intersport.
- - Puma has teamed up with the Chamatex group, based in the Ardèche region of France, for this collection.
Sport: Puma takes revenge on rival Adidas - 20/03/2023
- Record sales of 8.5 billion euros
- - 19% year-on-year growth
- - Net income of 641 million euros
- - Sales strategy focused on retailers
- - 15% of the European soccer boot market
- - Estimated unsold stock of 2.2 billion euros
- - Adidas achieved growth of 1% in 2022
Nike: direct sales save the year for the global sports giant. - 28/06/2022
- Nike targets double-digit growth for the coming year 2022.
- Nike experiences a 20% drop in sales in China.
- Nike focuses on its e-commerce site and its own stores.
- Nike expects annual growth of around 10%.
- Net income climbs to 5.7 billion euros.
- Products sold directly to consumers accounted for $18.7 billion over the year.
Nike up more than 6% - 28/06/2022
- Nike's direct-to-consumer sales account for 40% of its turnover
- The group posted sales of $46.7 billion (approx. 44.3 billion euros) in 2021-2022, up 6% excluding currency effects
- Profits reached $6 billion
- Sales slowed considerably in North America and mainland China
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