Interview with François Ponthieu, President, Direction Nationale du Contrôle de Gestion Free

DNCG (Direction Nationale du Contrôle de Gestion - National Board for Management Control) is an independent institution whose mission is to check French professional clubs' accounts. Its declared aim is to ensure that clubs that begin a championship campaign are able to finish it without filing for bankruptcy, which would distort competition. This interview by Michel Desbordes (MD) with DNCG president François Ponthieu (FP) questions the role and the success of DNCG and finds that the organisation is now geared towards helping clubs to produce business plans rather than acting just as financial enforcer. However, where accounts are found not to be in line with what has been agreed, clubs are liable to serious punishment, even relegation.