The leagues' insistence on NIS 80 million as an economic safety net for next season • Choosing a payment formula for each team against the losses from the lack of audience • And the crucial meeting with the Treasury next week • Status picture of the compensation agreement for the football teams

• The match between Maccabi Haifa and Hapoel B'Sh. What about the crowd?

  Photo: 

  Maor Alexesi

Israeli football officials believe that there is a great chance that the next 2020-2020 gaming season will open without a crowd, due to the second wave of the Corona epidemic. Things have seeped into group leaders in recent days, some of whom have expressed great fear of economic collapse following such a situation, but the league manager believes that things will work out with regard to state financial compensation. Against the backdrop of next week, a crucial meeting with Treasury officials is expected.

Two weeks ago, for the first time in Israel Today, we unveiled the compensation plan that the executive teamed up with the Ministry of Sports and Treasury officials, which includes three key points: immediate financial compensation for group losses in recent months, an economic safety net for next season in case there is no crowd, and finally construction Of an online gambling system (Leib Betim) - that will put money into regular groups. The state and the treasury will also earn a lot of money from taxes and royalties. The thing is, the outline has not yet been signed, and some groups fear they won't receive the funds, but that's not the case.

Packed up. Works non-stop // Photo: Oded Karni

The Compensation Formula

Where are things standing? The chairman of the football leagues, Erez Khalfon, talks on a daily basis with the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Finance. Yesterday there was also a long discussion on the issue involving all relevant parties, including senior basketball executives, including chairman Samuel Frankel, and everyone delivered a clear message to the Treasury - we do not have the ability to open next season without a financial safety net in case the Ministry of Health fires games without crowd.

The head of the football leagues' insistence is that the Treasury will provide an economic safety net of about NIS 80 million, while finance officials are talking about much lower amounts, so the parties may have to settle eventually. "The Treasury has not told us about it yet, but it may be that it will offer less money," said a negotiator.

The Economic Security Network for next season will not be provided through a financial grant to groups, but by a Treasury guarantee. In such a case, the teams will be given permission to deposit the government's guarantees in the budgetary control, so that they can open the season, and not only have to bring money from the owners or financial support from the municipalities, after the control has made it clear that they will not build the budgets based on revenue.

Another thing the parties are yet to finalize is the compensation scale formula for a crowd that will not reach the lots. what does it mean? The amount of compensation cannot be given equitably to all groups because large groups such as Maccabi Tel Aviv or Maccabi Haifa have more than 10,000 subscribers, while small ones, such as Hapoel Hadera or Bnei Yehuda, have hundreds of subscribers. Also about buying tickets.

Moses celebrates. Betar amid concerns // Photo: Bernie Ardov

Optimism and downsizing

A senior negotiator in the details of the parties estimated that the compensation issue would be closed by mid-July, which would allow relatively quiet financially head groups for the next season: "Things will be cut here or here in the next two weeks, there is a season to prepare for."

Another factor involved in the details sounded more optimistic, saying: "We are close to a deal with the Treasury. There are groups that are not aware of what is happening behind the scenes, but they will receive a safety net."

The league manager shared some of the teams' representatives at a board meeting yesterday, and criticized the fact that compensation amounts would be lower than what the teams expected: "There is a global crisis, you can't rest your head in the sand."

Behind the scenes the manager also recommends that groups pursue a policy of lower pay salaries for players, as between 40 and 50 percent of most groups' budgets are related to salary matters.