Since the announcement of new provisions related to coronavirus Sunday evening by the Minister of Health, the world of sport has been sailing in uncertainty. In particular of what could happen after April 15 which marks for the moment the end of the measures. Until this date, things are clear: the tests take place behind closed doors, with less than 1,000 people or are postponed. However, we must already consider the rest and quantify the financial losses.
The AccorHotels Arena should thus host the Olympic qualification tournament (TQO) of handball from April 17 to 19, the French Basketball Cup on April 24 and 25, the European Championships in female artistic gymnastics from April 30 to May 3 and the Karate TQO from May 8 to 10. So many pending events…
Miss to win
"I'm not worried but concerned about the situation," explains Nicolas Dupeux, general manager of the Parisian hall. We can always postpone concerts. When you are a fan of an artist, whether he plays in April or June, you remain a fan. The impact is minimal. We only canceled one performance on our calendar ( Editor's note: Ateez, scheduled for Tuesday March 17 ). In sport, it's more delicate. We cannot reject TQOs in view of the Tokyo Olympics. We will only work in camera. We are going to come to financial discussions to see how everyone can support their respective interests taking into account the situation. "
For the eastern part of the capital, the shortfall is in consumption, derivatives, rental of lounges, etc. On the side of the handball federation (FFHB), we already have the (bad) numbers in mind. The budget for the TQO which will bring together France, Tunisia, Portugal and Croatia amounts to 1 million euros. Of which 120,000 for the rental of the room and 330,000 for the costs related to the organization.
"Depending on whether or not the communities maintain their subsidies to us, a closed session would generate a deficit of 275,000 or 625,000 euros," says Joël Delplanque, the president of the FFHB, who is meeting this Wednesday in Basel with the organizers of the five other TQOs (three male, three female) planned in Europe in the coming weeks. I can not anticipate anything but I got it into my head that we were going to play without an audience. "
The ticket office remains open
21,000 tickets have already been sold and the ticket office will remain open as fans have nothing to lose. "We have provided refunds for tickets already purchased or tickets still valid on postponement dates," explains Nicolas Dupeux. We therefore advise everyone to keep tickets until there has been an announcement. Like all players in the sports sector, everyone is waiting for the establishment of a compensation fund and solidarity measures which must be put in place. "
"In addition, there are not only major events," says Delplanque. We organize 200,000 hand matches per year, at all levels. There will be postponements, perhaps the obligation to shorten certain championships, delete playoffs ... With basketball and volleyball, we will find ourselves requesting the same schedules for rooms. We will have to be flexible… ”
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Nicolas Dupeux, he already sees even further. "We will have to see how to recreate confidence and envy," he says, "what communication plan will be associated to continue to experience great emotions when we come out of this difficult period." "