Frederic Thiriez, head of the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), plans to increase the number of club presidents on his 25-man board from 12 to 14, giving them a crucial majority.

Players and technical staff oppose the proposals as they fear it could give way to decisions being made for financial rather than footballing reasons.

And Letizi, vice-president of the French footballers' union (UNPF), has refused to rule out industrial action in a bid to head off Thiriez's plan.

"We can't predict anything but we can't rule anything out either," Letizi told L'Equipe. "I'm not against a strike."

Members of both the UNPF and the technical staff's union, the UNECATEF, will meet with the French secretary of state for sport, Bernard Laporte, on Tuesday before holding talks with players' representatives on October 13.

UNPF president Philippe Piat feels the LFP's plan to increase the power of club owners must be blocked for the good of football in the country.

He said: "If we let them do it, the presidents would be able to decide everything and anything - that the clubs don't need a coach with a certificate, that there shouldn't be more than 15 players in professional squads...

"As commercialisation becomes more and more important in football, it becomes difficult to stop them."