With the switch to red, football and (especially) rugby are grinding black

• In this period of recrudescence of the Covid-19, a gauge of 5,000 spectators remains the standard for all shows, sports or not, except very rare prefectural exemptions.
• The football and rugby clubs installed in the departments in the red zone, often the most populated, do not have too many illusions to be made in the near future, hoping to avoid the camera in case of worsening of the epidemic.

In Germany, the same article would have been quickly written: faced with the resurgence of the coronavirus epidemic, Berlin announced this Thursday the ban on the public to go to the stadiums (among others) until the end of the year. In France, it's more complicated. The gauge for gatherings, including sporting events, is set at 5,000 people, at least until October 30. Football and rugby clubs are increasing the number of prefectural exemption requests to “scratch” additional spectators.

For the time being, only the rugby players of Perpignan, during a friendly meeting against Colomiers last Friday, and those of Clermont for internal opposition this Friday, have obtained the rab, with respective authorizations set at 8,000 and 6,000 visitors. Two decisions adopted by one man: Philippe Chopin, prefect of the Pyrénées-Orientales until last Monday, before taking up his duties in Puy-de-Dôme.

💛💙The “Yellow” against the “Blue” in front of 6,000 supporters!
Following the package of @LeLOURugby, Franck Azéma's men will oppose Saturday at 6.15 p.m. on the lawn of the #Michelin
Free reservations open from 11 a.m.
All the info 👇 https://t.co/sPeyFJC1tt pic.twitter.com/ QklAjaJNNm

These two exceptions, in departments less affected by Covid-19 than many others, could remain so. Especially after the announcement this Thursday by Jean Castex of the placement in the red zone of 19 new departments, for a total of 21.

Jean Castex or the cold shower

However, the Prime Minister was clear Wednesday on France Inter: "It will no longer be possible for the prefectural authority to derogate" from the maximum level of 5,000 people in the red zones "that is to say where there are strong viral circulation ”. Bad news for PSG, OM, OL, Bordeaux (among others) on the football side, while the LFP still hoped Monday, through the voice of its general manager Didier Quillot, "to welcome more than 5,000 people in the stadiums ".

The LFP wants more public in the stands and relax the health protocol https://t.co/tuBDnx0udl

That said, L1 and L2 clubs can still count on TV rights, their main source of income, by far. For rugby players on the other hand, Jean Castex's announcement looks like a plank tackle, Samoan style. On the Stade Toulousain side for example, the fact of receiving Montpellier this Friday in a friendly atmosphere is still happening in front of a limited attendance.

But its president Didier Lacroix assured this Thursday that he still hoped to welcome more people on September 12 against La Rochelle, for the first home match of Top 14. "We will ask for a derogation if the circulation figures of the Covid-19 allow it », He assures. The passage in red of the Haute-Garonne, this Thursday morning, leaves little hope on the subject.

🏉 The friendly against @avironrugbypro scheduled for Friday night is finally canceled. The resumption of @ top14rugby against @SFParisRugby in a week is compromised for the moment. #UBB #Bordeaux https://t.co/OZlR6BMwXz

As of Tuesday, the prefect Etienne Guyot had declared after a meeting with Lacroix, but also Damien Comolli and Alain Carré, presidents of TFC (L2) and Colomiers Rugby (Pro D2): "no exemption will be granted. as long as the epidemiological context follows its unfavorable trend ”.

A model in jeopardy

"We generate frustration while we are a business of entertainment and pleasure," says Lacroix, forced to choose from among its supporters (including 4,100 subscribers) and partners who will be the elected to attend a particular match. Above all, the economic model of rugby in general, and of Toulouse in particular, which operates without a sponsor, is particularly affected by this microscopic enemy.

“Unlike football, with us, TV rights represent less than 10% of the budget. The rest is our audience, our partner, ”says Lacroix. “We are talking about a shortfall of 30 million euros over a period of two months for all the clubs”. For his own in particular, the boss of the Rouge et Noir figures the shortfall at "300,000 euros" for a Top 14 match "with an average attendance" at Ernest-Wallon (19,000 places) and at "1.1 million d 'euros' for a quarter-final of the European Cup at the Stadium (33,000 seats).

The closed door, nightmare of clubs

Because Toulouse must play a quarter of the Champions Cup on September 20 against the Irish Ulster in the largest stadium in the city, which would be full in normal times. “I want to continue to believe in it, asserts Lacroix. It is not a utopia. »But an unrealistic assumption at the moment T ...

While waiting for a more or less distant return to normal, the rugby clubs pray above all not that the health situation worsens, and thus avoid their absolute nightmare: "If we say a closed session, then there it is. the disaster, warns Laurent Marti, president of the UBB, on Rugbyrama. We have no more income, nothing and there is the death of a club. It is with this type of argument that representatives of clubs and of the LNR hope to convince the government to grant them aid, during the meeting scheduled for Tuesday in Paris.

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