Featured image credit: Rob Ridley
Vinci and Bouygues, current operators of the Stade de France, have taken the state to court over what they claim are irregularities in the tender process for a new contract.
The Vinci-Bouygues consortium has taken issue with the process conducted by Fin Infra, the entity which supports state investment projects. A request for interim relief has been filed with the Tribunal administratif de Montreuil, according to Les Echos, which is due to examine it at the end of the month before a ruling expected in February.
The French Government in December entered into exclusive negotiations with GL Events, selecting its proposal ahead of a rival offer from Vinci and Bouygues. The Stade de France is currently owned by the Government through the Consortium Stade de France.
Through an agreement with the consortium formed by construction firms Vinci and Bouygues, the state granted the management of the 81,338-capacity stadium to the two companies in 1995. The contract with Vinci and Bouygues is set to end on July 1, and the state published two calls for tenders in March 2023, one for the outright sale of the stadium and the other for a new concession agreement.
GL Events has entered into discussions with the Government to assume management of the Stade de France from August as part of a 30-year deal. However, the process, and the selection of GL Events, has proven controversial, with the situation now escalating.
The latest action aims to cancel the tender process, “marked by multiple breaches of the obligations of publicity and competition”, according to Vinci-Bouygues. Les Echos states that the applicants’ cause for complaint include that Fin Infra did not sufficient define “the needs to be satisfied” by the candidates.
Another grievance concerns the role of the French Football Federation (FFF) and French Rugby Federation (FFR), the main tenants of the Stade de France, in the process. Vinci-Bouygues believe the requirement that they be granted “priority reception” against other events should have come alongside a guarantee of a predefined number of matches from the two federations.
Les Echos also states the applicants have highlighted “the irregularity of the offer from GL Events”, in particular whether Paris Entertainment Company (PEC), operator of Accor Arena, Le Bataclan and adidas arena, is part of GL Events’ proposal.
The latest news comes after the FFF and FFR were this month reported to be prepared to join forces and act as operator of the Stade de France should the deal for GL Events fail to be sealed. Les Echos states that while the FFR is now close to giving its blessing to a GL Events deal, the FFF still appears to be unhappy.
Indeed, on Thursday, FFF president, Philippe Diallo, referred to the current economic model as “not satisfactory” and reaffirmed his desire “to be a stakeholder in the governance of the stadium”, which is not currently provided for through GL Events’ offer.
Diallo also insisted on the need to play in “a stadium with the most demanding standards”, referring to redevelopment work for the Stade de France.
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