Paris (AFP)

Forced to evolve behind closed doors because of the new period of confinement, French basketball is on the verge of the abyss: "one could imagine that clubs could disappear", alerted the president of the National Basketball League on Friday (LNB ), Alain Béral.

"For us, playing without an audience, without partners, without VIP, is to play without economy. We are told today, you can play, so you have to play. But behind closed doors, it's very, very complicated." , explained Alain Béral ​​after a general meeting of the LNB.

"The economy of the clubs will be so affected, that if we accept this until the end, well we will disappear, to be completely clear," he added.

During the new period of confinement announced by President Emmanuel Macron until at least December 1, French professional sport is allowed to continue its activity, but only behind closed doors, a major problem for disciplines such as basketball, handball or tennis. volleyball, with very low or even non-existent TV rights and therefore income all coming directly or indirectly from the public.

During the first period of confinement between March 17 and May 11, pro sport was completely at a standstill.

The mechanisms of partial unemployment, and access to the loan guaranteed by the State allowed the clubs to pass this first episode without too much damage.

- 180,000 EUR losses -

On the other hand, "we do not have the same guarantees as in March, April, May and June, that there is aid for unemployment, social charges, which can compensate for a certain number of things. Today this is not the case. We are not sure of our activity ", hammered the president of the League, who estimates that for an Elite club, the closed door amounts to a loss of 100,000 to 180,000 euros per match.

"When a club agrees to play behind closed doors at home, it loses the revenue, the VIPs, the sponsors if it is not broadcast. In a model like the one we have developed, it is lethal. One could imagine if we accepted that, that clubs could disappear very quickly, for cash flow problems or payment default, ”he insisted.

"Very soon", it could be in "less than a few months."

The LNB postponed until Tuesday evening at the latest its decision on the holding of the next meetings until December 1, the 7th and 8th days scheduled for this weekend, then Monday and Tuesday having already been postponed.

- The Leaders Cup canceled -

"There is no income. You cannot tell a commercial enterprise to put in staff and in front of it there are no clients. The activity will naturally stop due to a lack of fighters. can go very fast ".

The best financially armed clubs could ask to play all the same at home behind closed doors, but even for them "it will not be able to go beyond mid-December", according to Alain Béral.

Tony Parker, president of Asvel, said Thursday evening that his club could play in these conditions in the league and in the Euroleague, but "just in this month" of November.

"It will not last. Anyway, if we played behind closed doors, half of the clubs will file for bankruptcy before the end of January," said the president of the LNB.

"You can't imagine getting involved in this."

Faced with the health situation, the LNB has also decided to cancel the Leaders Cup, a mid-season competition which brings together in mid-February at the Disney Event Arena the best eight teams of the first leg of Elite.

© 2020 AFP