The 1,000 spectator gauge, a fatal blow for the Girondins and the UBB?

The Matmut Atlantique and the Chaban-Delmas stadium will only welcome 1,000 people over the next few weeks.

-

• The Girondins and the UBB will only play in front of 1,000 people in each match for three weeks due to the Covid-19 epidemic in Gironde.

• The Girondins are asking themselves the question of playing behind closed doors to avoid choosing between their spectators and to limit the costs of such a gauge.

• UBB is in an increasingly complicated situation.

  On Saturday, she will play in front of 1,000 people against Edinburgh in the quarterfinals of the Challenge Cup.

  The club hopes very quickly to obtain aid from the State.

It's a real blow of the bamboo!

One more.

Since the start of the Covid-19 epidemic, they have followed one another for the Girondins de Bordeaux and the Union Bordeaux-Bègles.

Tuesday, Fabienne Buccio, the prefect of Gironde announced new measures to fight against the spread of the virus in the department (classified red) including a change in the limit of the gauge in the stadiums: from 5,000 to 1,000 people (players, staff, officials, security, journalists included…).

We can therefore rather speak of a gauge of 500 to 700 people for the general public.

Already in difficulty economically, the two clubs are seeing the pressure increase on their accounts.

Laurent Marti, the president of the UBB expressed his dissatisfaction and especially his incomprehension with

"I affirm that the 4,000 spectators who will not come to the stadium will be more in danger between them, in the bars.

If the prefect said understands her reaction, she recalled this Wednesday on France Bleu Gironde that she was not targeting inside the stadiums where physical distancing is very easily applicable but the dangers of regrouping around the speakers.

Gironde: The prefect is cracking down with new anti-Covid-19 announcements https://t.co/6zVG9LQNjZ via @ 20minutesBord pic.twitter.com/4xcJnZsBB3

- 20minutesbordeaux (@ 20minutesbord) September 14, 2020

The Girondins towards the camera?

If they will always be less impacted than the UBB, it is a new blow for the Girondins.

As a reminder, two years ago, the ticket office still represented 20% of the club's revenue excluding transfers.

According to a club leader, if the 4,000 fewer spectators (general public, partner or VIP) request reimbursement of their place, it is a loss of 200,000 to 250,000 euros per match.

The Girondins will have to apply this gauge against Nice (September 27) and Dijon (October 4) since Fabienne Buccio has planned to take stock of these new measures in three weeks.

As a result, the club could lose half a million additional revenue.

The Club remains vigilant and respects the rules which apply to all and will adapt according to the evolution of the situation.

- FC Girondins de Bordeaux (@girondins) September 15, 2020

For the moment, the Girondins affirm to have "taken note of this decision" and "remain vigilant and respectful of the rules which are essential to all and will adapt according to the evolution of the situation" by recalling that "the health of its employees, players and supporters remains the priority.

"But according to information from

the club is already considering the idea of ​​playing these matches behind closed doors:" It makes no sense to open for 1,000 people.

Who do we take?

Who do we choose?

There is also the cost, the fixed charges… Just to open the doors, it costs 50,000 euros!

We had already thought in camera with the 5,000 gauge as much to tell you that there… It is really an important constraint for us ”, explains a person close to the file to Haillan.

UBB is going to need state aid very quickly

For Laurent Marti's club, the situation is becoming more and more worrying because ticketing represents an important part of the budget of the Top 14 clubs. To put it simply, on the budget of 25 million euros of the UBB, the related revenues per match over the last few seasons represent around fifteen million euros (eight million for VIPs and boxes, three million for sponsors, five million for subscriptions and single ticket sales).

For the moment, the Union Bordeaux-Bègles will have to do with this gauge against Edinburgh on Saturday and perhaps Clermont on October 10.

This first quarter-final in the history of the club will therefore be played in front of 1,000, a new blow for the president of the Union:

On this match [which was to be played at the start on April 4], we were at 300,000 euros in revenue before stopping all sales in March.

We would surely even have been able to approach 800,000 euros with a full stadium.

"

The Chaban-Delmas stadium with a limited gauge against Brive in Top 14. - C. Carpentier / 20 Minutes

For Saturday's match, the club decided to welcome as a priority "the partners who have purchased a commercial service for this meeting: they are the main guarantors of the financial survival of the club and the supporters' clubs that make up the Bordeaux Academy: they will support their team with all their heart and will constitute the indispensable 16th man against Edinburgh.

For others, UBB offers three options: a refund, a credit for a next match, or a donation to the club.

Following the last prefectural decisions, our press release on the public reception conditions for our quarter-final against Edinburgh.

The press release 👉 https://t.co/hoMuTLlxN0#ILOVEUBB #Bordeaux #Gironde

- UBB Rugby (@UBBrugby) September 14, 2020

Laurent Marti is now impatiently awaiting the return of the government since the world of professional rugby has asked for the state's help: this is compensation for the real losses that each club can demonstrate by comparing last year's revenues and of this season.

This Wednesday, the clubs still had "zero returns", says the Bordeaux leader.

Sport

Bordeaux-Lyon: "We start with the foundations", Girondins in concrete failing to be brilliant against OL

Sport

Bordeaux: The favorite UBB of the Top 14?

"We mustn't be pretty!

», Warns Urios

• Soccer

• Sport

• Aquitaine

• epidemic

• Bordeaux

• UBB

• Girondins of Bordeaux

• Top 14

• Rugby

• League 1

• Coronavirus

• Covid 19