French league body abandons Argentina summer tour plans | OneFootball

L’Équipe report that the  French Professional Football League (LFP) had considered organising a summer tour in Argentina in mid-July, where two French clubs would have faced off against Boca Juniors and River Plate. The idea was discussed during a board meeting on December 6th, as part of the LFP’s efforts to promote Ligue 1 abroad. However, the project was eventually abandoned due to several obstacles.

One of the major concerns for the French clubs was uncertainty about their qualification for a European competition or the need to potentially compete in playoffs around the same time. Additionally, the long journey and time difference were also issues. At that time, French teams are in the midst of their pre-season preparation, and they could have potentially suffered heavy defeats, which would not have helped promote French football.

A similar experiment had been carried out in 2019, with a tournament in the United States that featured Marseille, Bordeaux, Saint-Étienne, and Montpellier. However, that event did not meet with great success. The LFP is set to receive 4.5 million euros from the organizers for the Trophée des Champions 2023, which will take place on August 5th in Bangkok, Thailand, according to reports from L’Équipe.

GFFN | George Boxall