In Nice, it is not only Méfi, the Eagle mascot of OGC Nice who has deserted the Allianz Riviera. Usually, the raptor flies over the lawn of the Red and Black before the start of the championship matches. But since March 7, last meeting of the Aiglons at home against Monaco before the interruption due to a coronavirus crisis, the stadium is idling and Méfi has not reappeared. "This changes us a little from the usual activity," concedes to the microphone of Europe 1 Patrick Florence, director general of the French Riviera. An activity that "is reduced to the maintenance of equipment and the lawn."
>> Find all the major debates of Europe 1 Sport in replay and podcast here
Containment is good news for lawns
It is one of the few, if not the only positive point of containment for Ligue 1 stadiums: lawns can get a makeover sooner than expected. "We have anticipated a number of lawn regeneration works that are usually done in the off-season," says Patrick Florence. As the Nice stadium is the result of a PPP (private-public partnership), the Nice Eco Stadium group is responsible for maintaining the grounds. "The period from a climatic point of view lends itself to it. We have ventilated the carpet, sowed, we are in the right season, it is necessary that we take some advantages from the current situation, this will allow us to have a lawn in perfect shape for the resumption of Ligue 1 matches. "
In Angers, the stands at the Raymond-Kopa stadium are being renovated. "We have stopped work, we suffered a serious brake with the Covid, but they will resume next week," said Europe 1 Morgan Potier, stadium manager. "On the other hand, we are ahead of the annual maintenance of our lawn, which we usually do during the summer break. If the championship resumes, we will be on time to have a lawn ready to 90%. If we don't do this, this summer between the end of the 19/20 championship and the resumption of the 20/21 championship, we risk having a fairly complicated next winter. "
Barrier measures and partial unemployment
Confinement requires, the maintenance and upkeep equipment has been adapted, including the application of barrier measures. "On the maintenance part, we did not change the workforce, on the other hand on the administrative and commercial part, we are an operating company, that forced us to take measures: current vacation balances and partial unemployment" , concedes Patrick Florence. The Allianz Riviera is not the only stadium affected: at the Parc des Princes, the lawn is always maintained, but in general, the workforce has been divided by ten.
>> Find Bernard Poirette's morning show in podcast and replay here
If the lawns are still as green, we can not say about the finances related to the use of the stadium. It's very simple, there are only expenses and no entry of money, entrusts an actor to Europe 1. "Everything is at a standstill", laments Morgan Potier, stadium manager of the Raymond- Kopa. "An enclosure that is not used is not a profitable enclosure. Today, this period of confinement, it does not generate any financial income from the operation of the stadium itself."
A shortfall of around 60 million euros
"We have no commercial activity of any kind. No matches, no congresses, seminars or trade fairs, we spent our first fortnight in April managing cancellations that fell one after the other," deplores Patrick Florence. "We are a bit like everyone else, the longer the situation lasts, the more complicated it is. Even if we have adapted a certain number of provisions, that we have government assistance, it should not last forever." If the situation were to continue, the bill could be salty: according to the study of the firm KMPG, it would amount to around 60 million euros, just in return ticketing and benefits around the matches.