Gérard Lopez, former president of Lille OSC, was sentenced to 10 months suspended prison time and fined €45,000 for complicity in illegal sports agent activities. The court found him guilty of hiring unlicensed agent Karim Saada to facilitate player recruitment, notably Serbian striker Arton Zejak, during his tenure from 2017 to 2020. Saada received a similar sentence and was banned from sports agent activities for five years. Both the French Football Federation and Lille OSC were co-plaintiffs in the case, with ongoing proceedings regarding potential financial damages to the club.