The French Football League (LFP) and the French Football Federation “decided to join forces with the French referees,” giving them a path to professionalism, according to Benjamin Hourticq of LE MONDE. In the coming years the refs will “benefit from a reform of their status that is supposed to lead them on a path toward professionalism.” LFP Refereeing Technical Dir Pascal Garibian, FFF Federal Referee Commission President Eric Borghini and LFP General Dir Didier Quillot gathered at the FFF HQ to announce a “high point” in the reform process that has been in development since ’12. The LFP and FFF will have three seasons to “professionalize 21 French referees,” grouped into an “Elite-F1” group. Starting next season, 10 refs “will be integrated into the elite group, then 15 the following season, and rounding out the 21 by ’18-19.” Designed to raise the performance level of the referees in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, the reform “requires 22 weeks of physical preparation and training,” compared to the current seven. The increased requirements “will be accompanied by a salary raise of 55% for elite refs,” amounting to an annual gross income increase of €128,000 ($145,000). The “non-elite” refs will also see their income increased 12%, to €93,000 ($105,400). To finance the pay raise, the “league’s refereeing budget will increase” from €12M ($13.6M) to €14M ($16M) (LE MONDE, 4/20). In Paris, Cyril Simon reported if the Elite Football Referees Union (SAFE) supports these decisions, "some concerns remain surrounding benefits protection and retraining." It is "worth remembering" that referees are "currently self-employed" and paid by the FFF (LE PARISIEN, 4/19).
