After French Professional Football League (LFP) General Dir Jean-Pierre Hugues decided to retire in January, LFP President Frédéric Thiriez and several club leaders have now "interviewed four possible candidates" for the vacant position, according to Anthony Alyce of ECOFOOT. The next number-two of the LFP will “possess broad powers, particularly on economic issues, and will work in tandem with a non-executive chair.” The four candidates were interviewed by Thiriez, Olympique Lyonnais President Jean-Michel Aulas, AS St. Étienne Chair Bernard Caiazzo, Paris St. Germain General Dir Jean-Claude Blanc and Nantes President Waldemar Kita. Among the candidates, the “most surprising” was TF1 Marketing Chair Laurent-Eric Le Lay. Le Lay has the “much sought after profile of business developer.” Former Sportfive CEO Christophe Bouchet is also a candidate for the “new-look” LFP. Former PSG President Robin Leproux and former Lagardère Active Directional President Didier Quillot “round out the list of candidates.” The LFP has not announced a “timetable for the appointment of its new general director.” However, all of the formalities “must be squared away” before the start of next season (ECOFOOT, 2/19).
