Patrick Revelli is sorry to see former club Saint-Etienne lose William Saliba and Wesley Fofana over the summer.
Fofana was sold to Leicester City, while Saliba left for Arsenal, having been signed permanently the previous year.
Revelli told But!: "We know it well. We saw it with the transfer of Fofana. But everyone knows that it is becoming more and more complicated for French clubs. They are in complete uncertainty with the TV rights, which we can only deplore.
"When you sell youngsters like Saliba and Fofana so soon after winning the Gambardella, it's unfortunate, of course. The first idea, if you want to be ambitious, is to keep them. But given the financial context, this was not possible. The club could not help it. It's unfortunate but that's how it is. This is today's reality."
