Reports, in camera, shortfall ... French sport on the front line

• On Sunday, the government announced a ban on gatherings of more than 1,000 people across the territory.
• Faced with this measure, the prefectures have no other choice than to declare the matches behind closed doors at least until April 15.
• These decisions are not without consequences for club finances.

France is not yet officially in stage 3 of the state of alert in the face of the coronavirus epidemic, but for the world of sport, it's just like. In the wake of the announcement, Sunday evening, of the Minister of Health Olivier Véran, prohibiting "all gatherings of more than 1,000 people", the day on Monday was that of the seesaw. It is now agreed that the vast majority of competitions must be held without spectators. When they can be held, by the way.

To take only the two main events of the week, the 8th finals return of the Champions League between PSG and Dortmund will take place behind closed doors Wednesday, while the last match of the XV of France in the Tournament of the VI Nations, Saturday against Ireland at the Stade de France, was canceled. While four new deaths were announced Monday, bringing the death toll in France to 25 dead, the sport is under cover, and this for at least a month.

Ligue 1 is preparing to play behind closed doors because of the coronavirus https://t.co/gyZmEgYXGR

“The rule applies until April 15. We are in an exceptional context and the sports world must participate in the collective effort, said the Minister of Sports, Roxana Maracineanu, during a press briefing. The organizers will have to adapt to the new rules by limiting their tonnage to 1,000 people by counting the participants, or by preferring the camera when it is possible. "

Sport hit hard by the epidemic

The list of impacted competitions is long. Very long. Just for football, the French Women's Tournament, the next two matches of the French Men's team, March 27 and 31 in Saint-Denis and Lyon, the League Cup final on April 4, four days Ligue 1 (including the 30th with OM-PSG). On the rugby side, four days of the Top 14 in their entirety, the quarter-finals of the European Cup in Toulouse, Clermont and Racing, the potential quarters of the Champions League of PSG and Lyon, cycle races like Paris-Nice, most championship games of handball, basketball, volleyball, etc.

Sport is obviously secondary to the public health emergency. It is, however, one of the most affected sectors. It's an entire ecosystem that could be in danger. Between the ticket office and various receipts, the loss for the PSG, Wednesday evening, is estimated between 3 and 5 million euros. If the Parisian club has the financial surface to cushion the shock, all the clubs are not in the same case, far from it. Even if the amounts involved are lower.

"For us, it's dramatic," confirms Laurent Marti, president of the UBB, who should see his team play behind closed doors in the Top 14 against Montpellier on March 29, and in the European Cup against Edinburgh on April 4. Especially since in rugby, we are more dependent on box office receipts than receipts linked to TV rights than football can be ... Not to mention that neither the Top 14 nor the European Cup have any background of reserve to allow the clubs to limit the breakage… So it is deadweight loss for us ”.

Loss of profit but no losses if it is covered by insurance. If the case of force majeure is recognized elsewhere

Significant financial consequences

The question of compensation will inevitably arise. And it is difficult to imagine that the clubs have thought of including a clause in the event of a pandemic in the contracts concluded with their insurance company (s). "For now, if I believe the statements of Bruno Le Maire [the Minister of the Economy], there is no coverage for this kind of situation, notes Pierre Rondeau, sports economist. If the government decides that this becomes a case of force majeure, then sporting events could be covered. But for the moment, we are only talking about companies with direct contracts with the State, local authorities and public administrations. "

We will have to see, then, if the government decides to integrate cancellations and private meetings as a case of force majeure for private companies. The question of reimbursing spectators who bought tickets also remains open. Roxana Maracineanu announced that she "asked all the organizers to assess the impact of these decisions on their economic model".

To try to dissipate as much as possible the fog in which the world of sport advances, the minister will hold a new meeting Tuesday morning with the professional leagues, federations, organizers and broadcasters of competitions. "We all need to be welded," she concludes.

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• Sport
• Borussia Dortmund
• France
• Coronavirus
• Soccer
• Rugby
• PSG