
French international footballers Kylian Mbappé and Rayan Cherki are among several players who have expressed displeasure over the use of their images in a Betclic advertising campaign for sports betting. This incident has reignited the debate surrounding image rights for players within the French national team. Mbappé, supported by his teammates, has previously challenged the French Football Federation FFF on the exploitation of collective player images by commercial partners, leading the FFF to revise its image rights agreement in 2022. According to L'Equipe, the players, including Désiré Doué, Michael Olise, and Ousmane Dembélé, were reportedly unaware that a recent photoshoot organized by the FFF would be used by a sports betting company. Mbappé and Cherki, in particular, are said to be upset, stating they never wished for their images to be associated with sports betting promotions. The issue has reached FFF leadership and is expected to be addressed after the upcoming World Cup. L'Equipe also notes that Betclic acted within its rights, suggesting the problem lies with the agreement between the FFF and the betting company. This new controversy adds to recent issues between the FFF and its partners regarding World Cup bonuses and player ticket allocations.
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