France

Football
Business

Banned Uefa president Michel Platini has stated his satisfaction with the proceedings in his appearance before Fifa’s Appeal Committee over his suspension from world football, adding he hopes his name will be cleared in time to aid final preparations for the Euro 2016 national team tournament in his home nation.
Events

The top five contenders in each of the SportBusiness Ultimate Sports Cities 2016 Award categories will be announced at City Events in Paris on Tuesday March 15.

Tennis
Business

Gilbert Ysern, the influential head of the French Tennis Federation (FFT), is set to be dismissed from his role as director general of the national governing body.

Football
Business

French Football Federation (FFF) president Noel Le Graët has hailed a verdict from the country’s highest court, the Conseil d'État, that will retain the status quo in terms of the promotion and relegation system for Ligue 1, the top tier of the domestic club game.

Football
Business

Noël Le Graët, president of the Fédération Française de Football, told Frank Dunne why this summer’s Euro 2016 competition is so important for France – and not just French football.
Stadia

Matt Cutler looks at four innovative sports venues opening this year. What are their unique features and how will they create revenue-generation opportunities for their owners whilst taking the live fan experience to a new level?

City Events organisers have outlined plans for the next edition of the conference, which will be held in Paris on March 14-15.

Rugby Union

Mourad Boudjellal, the president of European rugby union champion Toulon, has asked Premiership Rugby about the possibility of the French Top 14 club switching to the English Premiership.

Basketball
Events

The International Basketball Federation (Fiba) has awarded hosting rights to Italy, Serbia and the Philippines for its three Olympic men’s qualifying tournaments, while France will stage the women’s event.

Lagardère Sports, the sports division of Lagardère Sports and Entertainment, has today (Tuesday) announced the acquisition of the Sponsorship 360 agency.

Basketball
Events

The International Basketball Federation (Fiba) has said the Italian Basketball Federation (FIP) and French Basketball Federation (FFBB) have agreed that their clubs will participate exclusively in competitions organised jointly by the sport’s global governing body and domestic leagues, as it moves forward with plans to establish its Basketball Champions League event.

Martial Arts
Events

International Judo Federation (IJF) president Marius Vizer has said six cities are in contention to stage its 2018 and 2019 World Championships, and has maintained North Korea remains a “genuine contender” to host the 2017 Junior World Championships.

Horse Racing
Stadia

The Curragh and Longchamp, two of the most famous names in horse racing, are undergoing transformations. Ryan Herman reports.

Sailing
Events

The French city of Toulon has been confirmed as the latest addition to next year’s America’s Cup World Series sailing calendar.

French automotive manufacturer Renault has formally completed its takeover of the Lotus Formula One motor racing outfit after paying debts owed by the team to creditors including the British tax authorities.

Rugby Union
Events

World Rugby, the global governing body of rugby union, has confirmed that the French city of Clermont-Ferrand will stage the finale of the 2015-16 Women’s Sevens Series next May.
Business

French automotive manufacturer Renault has confirmed its intention to return to full-works status in the Formula One motor racing championship after signing key contracts to acquire the Lotus team.

Football
Events

French and Russian authorities have outlined plans to step up security at fan zones for the Uefa Euro 2016 and 2018 Fifa World Cup national team football tournaments following this month’s attacks in Paris.