PARIS, Feb. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- The French soccer federation (FFF), the League (LFP)and five prominent soccer clubs have been raided by French Finance Ministry inspectors.

    It was believed as part of a wide-ranging investigation into suspected financial irregularities.

    A total of 19 French clubs, television channels and soccer bodies were raided on Thursday evening by inspectors looking for documents relating to the negotiation of advertising and television rights deals.

    "The LFP and a number of companies and clubs have been visited by inspectors from the Competition and Fraud(department) of the Finance Ministry...in probes regarding broadcasting rights in professional soccer and advertising in soccer stadiums," the French Professional League said in a statement on Friday.

    The five Ligue 1 clubs raided were Paris St Germain, Olympique Marseille, RC Lens, Girondins Bordeaux and champions Olympique Lyon, who were the five members of the now-disbanded Club Europe launched by television channel Canal Plus in 2001.

    Through Club Europe, the channel paid 250 million euros(326.4 million US dollars) to the five clubs in order to obtain their broadcasting rights.

    Following protests by Canal Plus shareholders, the payments stopped and Club Europe was dismantled last year.

    Canal Plus refused to comment on the issue. Sources close to the channel said it was unclear what the inspectors had been looking for.

    Last year Canal Plus won the rights battle to secure the exclusive broadcasting of Ligue 1 soccer for the next three seasons at a price of 600 million euros each year.

    LFP president Thiriez made it clear the raids were not linked to other investigations currently underway over transfers involving Paris St Germain and Olympique Marseille.

    "It's a financial investigation, not a criminal investigation,"he told Le Parisien newspaper.

    The FFF also recently launched an investigation into players' agents after allegations of tax evasion. Enditem