A real turnaround.
In barely a week, the professional indoor sports leagues - known as the BHV for basketball, handball and volleyball with the addition of ice hockey - have been thrilling.
After the implementation of the new containment by the state, they had prepared to go into hibernation.
Thus respecting the votes taken last spring when the clubs, faced with the risk of seeing the season disrupted by the health crisis, had recorded the suspension of the championships in the event of a closed session.
The absence of the public in the rooms being incompatible with the economy of these sports which do not benefit, unlike football or rugby, from substantial television rights.
President of the LNB, Alain Béral figures "between 100,000 euros and 150,000 euros in net losses per club for a game behind closed doors" in a Jeep Elite.
The loss would be 200,000 euros for the handball club of Nantes in Starligue.
🏃♀️Find the measures applicable for #sport until December 1, 2020 as well as two documents to download that will allow you, depending on your situation, to justify your non-conforming trips ➡ https://t.co/uOwtdIjBzM pic .twitter.com / ADTYtvLzWR
- Ministry of Sports 🤸♀️🏠 (@Sports_gouv) November 3, 2020
However, and while many clubs fear they will have to put the key under the parquet without government aid, the Leagues have decided to continue the game during confinement.
An about-face taken under political pressure.
"I never envisaged that professional sport would stop, whatever the level of revenue lost because of the closed doors, warned Roxana Maracineanu, the Minister for Sports, last weekend at the" Grandes Gueules " on RMC.
Everyone moaned when we didn't have the chance to continue.
Now that we have the opportunity, people want to stop and get help.
It is not an option.
"
"Playing in camera does not please anyone"
A speech that caused some cold sweats among clubs and leagues in France.
Since then, everyone has returned to the decisions taken in the spring and agreed, for the moment, to resume the game. The women's D1 handball was the first to take a position, as of last Friday, by deciding to continue her season.
It was followed on Monday by volleyball.
"Playing behind closed doors does not please anyone but we are given the opportunity to play so we play," explains Gurvan Kervadec, director of the LNV which manages the men's and women's League A and the League B. But we are waiting for the helpers who must be announced this week, depending on, our position may change.
We will not go so far as to put our clubs in danger.
"
📄 Press release
➡️ Find the decisions taken during the Steering Committee of the day. # LNB #JeepELITE #PROB https://t.co/PuGbG9VhPR
- LNB (@LNBofficiel) November 3, 2020
The LNB (basketball) decided to innovate on Tuesday by leaving the possibility for voluntary clubs (Asvel, Monaco and Boulogne-Levallois) to host the matches behind closed doors and for other Jeep Elite clubs to be able to postpone their matches.
The cousins of handball also decided to continue, in their great majority, this Wednesday the Starligue and Proligue championships (D2) behind closed doors: “We had to choose the least bad scenario, between stopping playing or playing with economic constraints, two hypotheses which can quickly lead to the bankruptcy of our clubs most weakened by the situation, ”explains David Tebib, president of the NHL and of the Nîmes club.
"It's artistic vagueness on the aids"
Finally, only the Magnus League in hockey decided Monday "to freeze the championship while awaiting more information on government aid" indicates Christophe Cuzin, general manager of the Jokers Pontoise-Cergy.
"It's the artistic vagueness on aid and unemployment," continues Luc Tardif, president of the French ice hockey federation which organizes the championship.
Everyone wants to play, but if playing is killing our clubs, then we won't.
"
A concern that Roxana Maracineanu had tempered last weekend: “We will be there to help, so we have to keep the activity going.
The Minister for Sports is closely monitoring the situation of the clubs and will ensure that the dreaded slaughter is avoided.
Several aids are thus under study or already recorded such as compensation for ticket office losses, exemption from employer contributions.
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In the event of an inability to continue their activity (room closure) and an obvious reduction in employees' working time, the clubs could also benefit from partial unemployment, like any company.
A global envelope of 107 million euros has also been released and awaits the green light from the European Commission in Brussels, which ensures sports fairness between countries to be distributed to the clubs.
A sum that seems however very low to compensate for the heavy losses and reassure French sport.