In Copenhagen on Tuesday, a vacant French seat on European football’s governing table will be contested by two Ligue 1 presidents with sharply different routes into the game’s inner circle.
A Marseille vacancy goes to the vote
Lille president Olivier Létang and Marseille president Stéphane Richard are standing for election to the board of European Football Clubs (EFC), the body formerly known as the European Club Association.
The opening arose when Pablo Longoria left the Marseille presidency in February 2026. His departure also ended his roles on the boards of the Ligue de Football Professionnel, where he had been vice-president, and the EFC.
Longoria had joined the EFC board in September 2023. His LFP position has since been filled: Shéhérazade Semsar-de Boisséson, vice-president of the supervisory board, was elected in June. The European role, however, remained unfilled until this week’s ballot in the Danish capital.
- The EFC represents almost 850 professional men’s and women’s clubs across Europe.
- The vote is scheduled for Tuesday in Copenhagen.
- Létang and Richard are the two French club presidents seeking the seat previously held by Longoria.
Experience against a new profile
Richard arrived in Marseille only recently as Longoria’s successor, making him a new figure in the established European football network. His candidacy has instead leaned on his business background and an argument that a different professional perspective can be useful at board level.
Before moving into the Marseille role, Richard spent several years as chairman of the GSMA, the international association representing mobile-network operators and handset manufacturers.
Létang has presented a more football-rooted European case. The Lille chief has pointed to around 15 years of experience within the game’s institutional structures, as well as LOSC’s competitive standing in continental football.
- Lille are France’s second-highest ranked club in the UEFA coefficient table.
- Létang has argued that he can represent clubs of every size, not only the largest European institutions.
- Richard has highlighted his senior experience in international business organisations.
Al-Khelaifi’s influence hangs over the contest
The race has been conducted without public hostility, but the position of EFC president Nasser Al-Khelaifi carries obvious weight.
In 2023, the Paris Saint-Germain president backed the board candidacies of Longoria and Monaco’s Juan Sartori. At that time, Longoria was closely aligned with Al-Khelaifi.
The landscape has changed since then. Marseille owner Frank McCourt has adopted a breakaway approach in his club’s relationship with PSG and its president, adding a wider French football dimension to an otherwise restrained election for Longoria’s former seat.
