LYON: Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas says clubs in France should see the new record-breaking television rights deal in English football as an "opportunity" rather than allow themselves to be left behind.
"French football must seize the opportunity. We can choose to live under the dependence of English clubs or choose to profit from their economic strength," said Aulas during a conference call on Wednesday.
"These revenues are not a hold-up but rather the fruit of an elitist strategy.
"I am not jealous at the success of clubs in England, who own their stadiums, have beautiful pitches and benefit from top-level marketing.
"It is not a deregulation of the market. English clubs can bring in money to the French game which has productive academies.
"If disproportionate transfer offers come in it will be impossible to turn them down. We will need to sell on players who fit what English clubs are looking for and produce enough talents to replace them."
Earlier this month the Premier League agreed a new deal for domestic television rights worth a record £5.1 billion ($7.8 billion, 6.9 billion euros) for the period from 2016 to 2019, a stunning 70 percent hike on the existing contract.
Deals for television rights in other major European countries pale in comparison and the news has led to fears on the continent that it will become impossible to compete with the financial muscle of even the smallest Premier League sides.
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