President of the French Football Federation Philip Diallo and Jean-Michel Aulas, his counterpart at the professional women’s football league, also vice-president of the FFF, welcomed the agreement on the collective bargaining agreement for professional players.
The players’ union, UNFP, and the clubs’ union, Foot Unis, announced on Monday, May 18th, that a preliminary agreement had been reached for the signing of a collective agreement concerning professional players in France. This should come into effect on July 1, 2026. Find the reactions of Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation, and Jean-Michel Aulas, president of the professional women’s football league.
Reaction from President of the French Football Federation, Philip Diallo: “I am pleased with the agreement reached for the implementation, starting from July 1st, of a collective agreement for professional female footballers in France. The signing of this collective agreement, which involves the unions of players and clubs, represents a major step in the structuring, valorization, and protection of our professional women’s football for which the Federation has been strongly committed for the past three years, creating a professional female pathway as a whole. Long-awaited by the players themselves, this structuring agreement marks the beginning of a new era for professional women’s football and, above all, provides a regulatory framework that will allow players to evolve serenely in the future, especially in terms of social protection. I thank all the social partners who, after long and demanding negotiations, have made the voice of reason heard to guarantee the rights of professional players.”
Reaction from Jean-Michel Aulas (President of the Professional Women’s Football League and Vice-President of the FFF): “I am fully satisfied with this agreement and I would like to thank the social partners who have taken their responsibilities to find compromises in the common interest. This signing is an additional legitimacy element for our league and fits perfectly into the development ambitions of the LFFP, in line with the growth dynamic of this season.”
