What net loss does the reconfinement, which involves matches behind closed doors for at least a month, represent for OL?
Jean-Michel Aulas
: On the ticket office, it is around twenty million euros.
We must add to this the seminars (at the stadium) that have been stopped again, the visits to the stadium and the museum, the commercial relations with the shops that we are closing.
We are facing a loss of 30 to 40 M EUR which is unfortunately already to be induced.
It is enormous.
"The stopping of Ligue 1? It was a serious mistake ”
Does this re-containment worry you for OL's finances?
I am happy that we did not fall back into the mistake of last season made by the French League in particular, followed by a few others, consisting in stopping professional matches.
It was a serious mistake.
The confinement with the matches which take place in front of the TV it allows to keep a social link (...) In these tense times, it is essential to keep a link with the people who support us.
»
READ ALSO
- Football: the amateur championships and the Coupe de France suspended
Do you think that the fact that Ligue 1 continues during the reconfinement gives you reason a posteriori on the final cessation of competitions recorded in April?
The more the days go by, the more the events follow one another.
We realize that we find ourselves in the same situation as last season when the League made the decision to stop everything, depriving French professional football of EUR 300 million in TV rights.
(...) The double penalty is to have been robbed (of a qualification for the European Cup, Editor's note) by being barred for the benefit of other clubs.
(...) It is France which is penalized today by performances which are close to nothing.
This will influence the European ranking (of French football).
"We are not going to demonize OL"
You have estimated your loss at 117 M EUR and intend to sue the League (LFP) before the Administrative Tribunal of Paris. But don't you risk turning your back on the other L1 clubs by claiming money for OL that belongs to everyone?
In this case, there are insurance, because obviously the League is insured, which allows you to be compensated.
Once the sanction is taken, it will be high time to see how to find a certain number of agreements (...) We are not going to demonize OL because in the past there are many clubs, besides Reims, which have made claims.
"
READ ALSO
- Reconfinement: professional sports competitions will continue
Are you hopeful that an agreement can be reached with Mediapro?
I do not think so.
This may not be the opinion of the League.
We will probably be in a legal or other process.
Without going into details, the League asked the Spanish company which is the parent company of the French company (Joye Media, editor's note) to assume the deposit of the payments, which has not been possible for the moment, and is looking for the possibility that the Chinese parent company (Orient Hontai Capital, Editor's note) could replace itself in terms of guarantees, which was not the case either.
"There is great concern, it will be necessary to show imagination and efficiency to get out of this bad situation"
Are you worried that Mediapro, after refusing to pay the 172 M EUR due in October, will not pay the draft due in early December either?
More than worried.
We are hanging on a thread for the economy of the clubs and the FFF because part of the TV rights finance amateur football.
There is great concern, it will be necessary to show imagination and efficiency to get out of this bad situation.
In your opinion, should we terminate the contract and look for another broadcaster?
Frankly, I don't have the information to say so.
We must also think about another method of dissemination, but looking for a medium-term solution.
Short-term solutions will be found.
With falling TV rights?
It's not sure.
Because the landscape has changed so much and we can clearly see the emergence of on-demand, segmented offers without the obligation to go through a certain number of distributors.
When Mediapro won the tender, it had always considered going through Canal Satellite to distribute its images.
But (...) they did not agree with Canal to distribute.
Perhaps by simplifying, and around Canal, we would provide a solution for the user.
Read also
League 1 standings
