The French Professional Football League (LFP) will "serve beer for the first time at the final of the Coupe de la Ligue” at the Stade de France featuring Paris St. Germain vs. Lille on April 23, according to Yves Leroy of LE PARISIEN. It is “certainly a first for this, but not revolutionary for sports” where beer is already present at most rugby matches. The LFP is “hoping to shake things up” with the possibility of beer sales at league matches, a question that clubs have “a strong financial stake in.” LFP Sporting Activity Dir Arnaud Rouger said, “We hope that once and for all beer will be allowed in stadiums. It’s not beer sales that lead to security issues. On the contrary, so far, certain spectators consume huge amounts before matches and arrive completely drunk, because they know they cannot drink inside the stadiums.” Celebrating the authorization, LFP Economic Development Dir Mathieu Ficot said, “It’s very virtuous. It is much easier to control people once they pass inspections and are inside the stadium. One study found that when clubs obtain a waiver (to sell alcohol), their turnover increases five-fold over all concession sales, not just drinks.”
LOI EVIN: The question of alcohol in stadiums has been an “issue for clubs for several years.” The “Evin Law” in France controls alcohol and tobacco advertisements and forces clubs to apply for waivers (up to 10 a year) from their local governments in order to sell alcohol at matches. Some clubs have “signed agreements with their municipalities in order to be freed” from the 10-waiver limit. A recent agreement between Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyonnais President Jean-Michel Aulas and local authorities "allows the club to cut corners" around the 10-waiver policy. Lyonnais supporters "should now be able to purchase beer at each home match," a model that the LFP "hopes to generalize" league-wide (LE PARISIEN, 4/4).
