The hours of discussion in the morning were not enough: the French Basketball Federation (FFBB) was forced by the players from Bourges and Asvel to cancel the final of the Coupe de France, which should have been held on Friday evening in Bercy, after four cases of Covid-19 in the two teams.
“The game will not be played tonight.
I regret this decision.
It is, I think, a decision of the players of both teams. ”
In a few words spoken during a press briefing in Bercy early Friday afternoon, the President of the French Basketball Federation Jean-Pierre Siutat summed up, with a certain emotion in his voice, an intense morning of negotiations between the clubs, the Federation and the Minister for Sports Roxana Maracineanu, who was to attend the match in the evening.
"I wanted to thank the Minister for Sports for coming this morning to bring a very positive message on the strong will of the government, the Federation, the Leagues and the clubs, to resume the game and the competition," he said. -he adds.
Following the withdrawal of the 2 finalist teams, the FFBB is sorry to announce that the final of the Women's French Cup which was to oppose @BourgesBasket to @ASVEL_Feminin this evening at @Accor_Arena will not be held ➡️ https: // t. co / hlenjXwHHgpic.twitter.com / oFTpxuAIFJ
- FFBB (@ffbasketball) September 18, 2020
A message remained vain with the players of the two finalist teams.
“In agreement and with the support of their technical staff and their managers, they decided not to play this meeting.
A strong and responsible decision, guided by the overriding interest of preserving their health, ”state the two clubs in a joint press release.
Four positive cases
Three positive cases had been detected for the Tango and one for the Asvel before the final in Bercy.
In this situation, the FFBB plans to bring together a federal health group which must decide on the holding of the meeting.
A postponement is not automatic.
"Despite the many requests from the two clubs and the National Basketball Union (SNB), the criteria of the protocol which motivated this decision were not specified", regretted Bourges and Asvel.
"The Minister said that this protocol is a rule which makes it possible to promote the game and not on the contrary something which prevents it", underlined President Siutat.
Thursday at the end of the afternoon, the FFBB had decided to maintain the match Friday evening (8:30 p.m.).
But the players expressed strong reservations about playing this match, which was supposed to mark the return of French women's basketball after more than six months of hiatus due to Covid-19.
A fortiori, it was the first event organized with the public in Bercy, since the confinement of mid-March.
Risk of financial sanctions
“It's very difficult what has been decided today.
I obviously respect the fear that the players may have about the match.
But it's going to be that every day.
I did everything to get this season started again.
I do not know, sincerely, if this season will restart ”, regretted the president of the Federation, evoking“ a real shock ”.
The cancellation of the meeting, where more than 2,500 spectators (on a gauge of 5,000 far from the possible 15,000 at Bercy) were expected, represents a direct cost for the Federation: 300,000 euros according to Jean-Pierre Siutat, "without the indirect repercussions" .
Tango Bourges Basket and LDLC ASVEL Féminin will not compete in the Coupe de France final
➕ https://t.co/qzmT9yfamy#ASVEllespic.twitter.com/1GR8MBO8gq
- LDLC ASVEL Féminin (@ASVEL_Feminin) September 18, 2020
In a press release, the Federation referred to a "forfeit of the two teams" and according to its regulations in force, "in the event of a forfeit of a team, during a Championship, Challenge, Cup, Tournament, Selection, the club failing is exposed to the reimbursement of various organizational costs unnecessarily incurred by a third party organizer and to a financial penalty against him pronounced by the Federal Competitions Commission ”.
This decision comes one week before the resumption of the Women's League.
“I hope that we will be able to start.
Something will have to be decided at some point, ”explained Jean-Pierre Siutat.
“You have to live with it, certainly until the Olympic Games.
It means that you have to know how to take a minimum of risks, ”he concluded.
The two clubs “hope that this decision will make it possible to define a precise framework, shared with all the players.
The primary objective is to bring together the conditions necessary for a calm return to play. ”
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