Olivier Létang has secured a new place at European football’s top table, with the Lille president elected to the board of the European Football Clubs association during its general assembly in Copenhagen.
Létang won the French seat left open by former Marseille president Pablo Longoria, defeating OM chairman Stéphane Richard by 27 votes to five. The position was reserved for a French representative, with leading clubs from England, Germany, Spain, Italy, France and the Netherlands taking part in the ballot.
The Lille executive will now sit on the board of the EFC, the European clubs’ body chaired by Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi. Longoria had vacated the role after leaving Marseille, although the Spaniard was present in Copenhagen for the gathering, a detail that caused surprise among some attendees.
Létang’s European network proves decisive
Long established within European football’s institutional circles, Létang arrived in Denmark with a broad network and made use of it during the meeting at the Bella Center. He was seen speaking with several leading club officials, including Barcelona president Joan Laporta.
His election also carries a domestic French football dimension. Létang is aligned with Al-Khelaifi and Ligue de Football Professionnel president Vincent Labrune, while Marseille have been part of an opposing group of clubs that includes Rennes, Lens and Le Havre.
With Al-Khelaifi also leading the EFC, those relationships were widely viewed as an important factor in a vote that ended in a clear victory for the Lille president. Marseille, meanwhile, have missed the chance to retain the influence previously held by Longoria at European level.
