The policy of small steps of French basketball in the face of the crisis linked to the new coronavirus continues. Meeting on Tuesday, January 19 in general assembly, the National Basketball League (LNB) voted for the continuation at least of its first (Jeep Elite) and second division (Pro B) championships by March.
“Each team will participate in two championship matches, one of which must be at home behind closed doors”, specifies the LNB in a press release. This decision – the only resolution on the agenda – received a “Broad consensus”, assures the president of Le Mans Sarthe Basket (MSB), Christophe Le Bouille.
Suffering, like other indoor sports (handball and volleyball), from the lack of revenue caused by the ban on hosting the public, French professional basketball avoids putting its season on hiatus. But he continues to move forward in uncertainty. And the united front that he seemed to present in the spring of 2020, when the clubs had announced that they would not play behind closed doors, is starting to crumble, as the pandemic does not seem to be showing signs of abating.
Some are calling for more visibility on the continuation of the season, such as AS Monaco, which, ahead of the general assembly, regretted that the expected vote was not “That the postponement of a major decision which leaves all French professional basketball in the dark about the future of the championships”.
And if Boulogne-Levallois (Hauts-de-Seine), for example, follows in the footsteps of the formation of the Principality, the club of Portel (Pas-de-Calais), which presents itself as the “Petit Poucet de la Jeep Elite, smaller budget among behemoths”, defends a strict line. “By continuing to play behind closed doors, we dig our grave”, insisted the president of the formation, Yann Rivoal, on the eve of the assembly.
“Decisions of Solomon”
“Basketball tries to resist, but like any organism in a situation of resistance, its strength is diminishing”, observed already a few weeks ago Michel Mimran, general manager of the LNB, being able only to note the “Extremely severe blow” carried by the second confinement “To a very fragile economy”. No longer having the financial windfall provided by television rights, “The major part of the budget of the clubs rests on receipts of ticket office, general public, subscribers and VIP”. So many elements reduced to nothing with the closed door imposed by sanitary conditions.
Caught between two fires, the League tries to maintain the bar by “Decisions of [Jérôme] Solomon “, formula used – to deplore it – by AS Monaco to evoke the measures to fight against Covid-19 presented by the Director General of Health. At the beginning of November 2020, the French championship had thus decided to suspend its season due to the reconfinement … while leaving to the clubs which wished it the possibility of playing meetings behind closed doors.
Even if they are maintained, “the season can not be balanced just with state aid”, insists the president of Le Mans Sarthe Basket, Christophe Le Bouille.
“When we made the decision not to play behind closed doors, it was June. At that time, even the most pessimistic among us thought that in November or December, we could play with the public ”, relates the president of JL Bourg, Julien Desbottes. He who “Was the first to say, in June, that the closed door was a heresy”, now campaigns for “Reopen the debate, even if it means backpedaling”, demanding visibility and a schedule until the end of the season: “This uncertainty prevents us from addressing our partners. ”
“We all need visibility, notes his counterpart from Le Mans, Christophe Le Bouille. We would all like to be able to say to our employees, fans, subscribers, partners: “This is what will happen, from March 15 until June 30” “. The boss of the MSB insists on the necessary humility in the face of “An event that no one really controls”. “The government is struggling to project beyond four weeks, and we basketball authorities should be able to do so over the next four months? “
“Losses significantly mitigated”
So far, government aid has helped prevent a “Wave of bankruptcy” feared by clubs. “If we voted in May the absolute refusal to play behind closed doors, it was on the assumption that there would be no help, reminds Christophe Le Bouille. However, exemptions from employer contributions make it possible to limit damage, by considerably reducing losses. “
If each meeting of the MSB without public, subscribers and VIP partners causes an average loss of 160,000 euros, he explains, the exemptions from charges over a quarter (September, October, November) represent 280,000 euros. That is to say almost two meetings organized behind closed doors.
But, even if the support mechanisms are maintained, and while waiting for the release of the fund to help professional sport, “The season cannot be balanced just with state aid”, insists Mr. Le Bouille. Hence the importance of “Find partial gauges” of public present in the rooms as soon as the sanitary situation allows it, in order to be able to follow the meetings. If the initial calendar of the season had been respected, the French championship would begin, Saturday January 23, its 19e day. Today, the clubs have only played between six and ten games each.
The League’s Steering Committee will meet ” very quickly “ for “Set up different scenarios” allowing to consider the end of the season. The idea of a championship that cannot go to an end is on the table. “We really have to determine if we want to go at the end of the 34 days, if we only play half of it … In any case, it’s something other than just deciding if we play two more games in February ”, concludes Julien Desbottes.
