Hapoel Jerusalem was on its way to a season that might have ended with a four-year historic celebration • At the Israeli startup group, Dreamers still dream that the Tour de France will be held this year • And Hapoel Raanana are worried about the sponsors leaving • What are the owners doing? Try to keep optimistic
Chomsky. "Everyone needs to understand that the game has changed"
Photo:
Oren Ben Hakun
Asher Oak. "The economic issue will get proportions"
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Audio citation
Disabling global sports has hit many factors - all of them significant. Athletes, fans, sponsors, communications personnel, security providers, food and sports equipment, tourism industry workers and more.
Among these is a group that is hurting everyone - the club owners, some of whom are forced to see their lives stopped, are forced to cut salaries for employees and lose a lot of revenue that could, in the worst cases, bring the business into bankruptcy.
Although the end of the period is still not in sight and everything is still in the freeze, we have assembled three sports club owners who present what their crisis looks like.
Israel Start Nation. Be close to making history // Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Trying to see beyond this awful quarter // Ronnie Brown, co-owner of Israel Startup Nation
The last race I saw was in Dubai, which was discontinued because of the fear of Corona that ended up not hurting her at all. Something happened here that neither of us predicted or signed up for. We have no idea what will happen to our model center this season - attending the Tour de France. Without it many groups will find it difficult to function, so I understand the organizers' insistence to keep - still - the original date and not rush to cancel it. We are optimistic and trying to see beyond this terrible quarter, with the goal remaining to reach the Tour de France with the Israeli flag.
The crisis hit us right in the middle of the season, just before all the major Spring and Giro d’Italia races. There are quite a few groups already in financial difficulties due to the disappearance of sponsors. The season has more or less been wiped out, it may return this summer, but the sponsors are not getting their payoff.
Accordingly, some of the owners were also seriously injured. Our approach at the Israel Academic Cycling Club and the World Nationals start-up group strives to be uniform, whereby we will cut down a bit on everyone and carry this stretcher together so that we can continue next year as well.
We do not want to make a one-sided move, we protect the riders who earn relatively little, but the reality requires a compromise.
There should be the participation of the riders too, probably those who make a lot of money. This is the only way for us and other teams to maintain the franchise in World Tour. There are economic discussions with us, of course, and our opinion is a transversal and common cut for all club members, but we prefer it to be a joint move with the other World Tour teams - as a decision to cut the World Cycling Association. Of course, a large portion of the fixed costs will remain on the club.
Sylvan Adams and I will continue to stand in the power behind the team, and I think everyone should set a personal example during this time.
After all, I'm optimistic. The season's opening was really good and I really hope the Tour de France will be held anyway, even with a few viewers and under a few restrictions. Our guys looked great before the season stopped, and hopefully we’ll see them come back again soon.
Jerusalem players celebrate. So far their season has been wonderful // Photo: Alan Shaver
Keeping Israeli Sports alive // Eyal Chomsky, co-owner of the Hapoel Jerusalem basketball team
It is doubtful that there is a person in the world more frustrated than I am at the sporting level. After Hapoel Jerusalem took two degrees and we were on our way to the European Championship and title, to see this dream shatter is difficult and provokes thoughts about the extreme situation our country is going through in general and our sport in particular.
First of all, I appreciate, cherish and empathize with Alona Barkat. As one who lives by the economic and business significance of the Corona crisis, as an employer who has had to bring out hundreds of hundreds of workers to the USSR, it seems to me that some of our athletes simply do not internalize the harsh realities and must grow older.
It is true that they do not work in a regular job, and it is true that workers need to maintain rights, but during such a global crisis, while senior executives with high salaries also experience a significant reduction in wages - at best! - Everyone needs to understand that the game has changed. In this spirit, I suggest to everyone, both the team owners and the players, to be over-sensitive so that the Israeli sports enterprise does not fall into our hands.
It is also the time for the Israeli government to support sports and teams, not just statements but acts. The sport maintains not only the health but also the mental health of the citizens. Everywhere in the world, from the most advanced to the downtrodden, there are always the various soccer and basketball courts and leagues that allow people to continue to live.
Even when the belt is tightened and there is less money for entertainment and waste, sports - competitions, leagues, stadiums and broadcasts - leave us mentally healthy, and our government must regard sports as a major national resource, just like the IDF, media and infrastructure companies.
As part of the effort to safeguard our sport, I must mention the mayor of Jerusalem, Mr. Moshe Leon, who made sure to meet, was interested in how one can help and make great efforts to support Hapoel Jerusalem. It is important to me that the fans know that too, but especially that our mayors and economy learn from Moshe Leon - and help us all keep Israeli sports alive. It is far more important than we think.
Raanana players celebrate. "Israeli football will change" // Photo: Ami Shuman
Depend on things outside our control // Asher Alon, Hapoel Raanana owners
We used to talk about pre- and post-war concepts. Today we talk about concepts of before and after the epidemic. What will happen in Israeli football after the Corona will be completely different from what it has been so far - in terms of budgets, wages and broadcasting rights. Many owners have been hurt as a result of this epidemic, and to continue to hold the teams they will have to cut back on the money flow.
The big groups talk about injury because they don't sell tickets, but for us, the problem is with sponsors who demand their money back for these months. If, for example, we have sponsorship revenue and advertising of about NIS 2 million - one sponsor 200,000, one half million and my companies - our losses in these two or three months can range from NIS 400 to NIS 700,000, and we as a small group - imagine what The damage to the large groups.
The administration is supposed to hand over the funds that go to all groups, but what happens if the broadcast franchise says "I didn't receive the proceeds" and asks for its money back? What then? Where will the money come from? It's millions. The scope is very large, and it is without talking about what will happen next season, that sponsors may be afraid of and will not want to invest, because they may say that God forbid there is another outbreak. We depend on many things beyond our control.
The players do not understand the full meaning of everything that happens. Everyone looks through the hole of his divorce. In Raanana, some of the players cut their wages and some of them went to the US. In my opinion, next year 50 percent of their wages will go down, and there is nothing to do, nothing has happened in our country and in the whole world.
In any case, we will do everything to continue the season this season. UEFA also expressed support for the Games, even in July, so it gives hope, but I don't think we can go back to training before May, and we will need a few weeks to be ready. If the teams practice in June and shorten the top playoffs, it will be possible to do That, though it would be very strange to play in the heat.