Marseille supporters are not ready to relish the pleasure of the Champions League with this Covid-19 pandemic.

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GERARD JULIEN / AFP

  • Olympique de Marseille will know their opponents in the Champions League with the group draw this Thursday at 6 p.m.

  • OM had made qualification for the Champions League its main objective in sport, but also economically, but the club will not be able to count on ticketing revenue this year because of the Covid-19.

  • Fortunately the TV rights for this European competition, and the increase in those for Ligue 1, will compensate for this loss.

The big day for OM players and their supporters.

Olympique de Marseille will meet its opponents for the Champions League group this Thursday, with the draw to follow from 6 p.m. near Nyon, Switzerland.

A return to the biggest European competition for OM, the only French club to have won this title, it should be remembered, after seven years of absence.

The last participation dates back to the 2013-2014 season, with a sad record of zero points.

"I'm impatiently awaiting the draw, we've been waiting for this for a long time," admitted OM captain Steve Mandanda after the draw against Metz on Saturday (1-1).

We are going to have a very solid group, facing very big teams.

But the Champions League is like that.

We have to go through meetings and meet, it will not be easy with a lot of matches and quality opponents ”.

Behind closed doors

But behind the sporting challenge, which risks resembling OM's last participation after a complicated start to the season in terms of both impact and animation, participation in the Champions League was the objective sought by Franck McCourt when the club was bought out four years ago with his “Champions project”

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• Wednesday: Disciplinary Commission for the Alvaro / Neymar affair


• Thursday: Draw for the Champions League groups


• Sunday: OL - OM



Have a good week everyone.

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- ΜΑΣΣΑΛΙΑ (@ Corentin_1899) September 28, 2020

If for some this qualification is to the credit of the global Covid-19 pandemic, with the end of the championship after 28 days and a ranking in favor of the point ratio taken per matches played (2.0 for the 'OM, 2nd, against 1.75 for Lille, 4th), this will clearly penalize OM in their European campaign.

“At this stage, the gauge set by UEFA is zero, so a total closed session.

It's really heartbreaking to play in this empty stadium.

With 67,000 spectators, it is not the same experience.

We don't do all this to play behind closed doors, ”regrets Grégoire Kopp, member of the OM management.

"Everything must be revised downwards"

An empty stadium, which will not be able to push its team towards the feat, but especially 67,000 spectators who will not consume anything.

“Obviously it's not positive, everything that happens in the stadium is a source of income.

Not only is there a shortfall, but organizing matches with 1,000 spectators, or even behind closed doors, costs money, ”explains Grégoire Kopp.

Bastien Drut, sports economist and author of the book

Mercato, the economy of football

, figures the losses linked to ticketing "of the order of 7 to 9 million if the entire group stage of the Champions League is played behind closed doors ".

This is the equivalent of the transfer of young Brazilian rookie Luis Henrique, who landed in Provence against a little more than eight million euros, according to the Team.

Not to mention the salary, of course.

“Over the 2018-2019 season, ticketing revenue represents around 20 million with the Europa League.

With the Champions League it would have been a little better.

So a hole of a little over 20 million, out of revenue of 130 million, it is still important.

Of course, when you build a budget with ticketing revenues of 20 million, you have to revise everything down, ”he says.

Dear TV rights

But OM will still be able to count on TV rights thanks to its qualification in the Champions League, without forgetting that those of Ligue 1 have increased this season.

According to some estimates, these rights could reach 100 million just for Ligue 1 this season.

“Obviously TV rights represent the biggest financial windfall.

For the year 2018-2019, it was in the order of 60 million out of total revenue of 130 million euros.

I don't know exactly how much it will represent for this year between the Champions League and Ligue 1, but it compensates for the losses linked to the ticketing.

The revenue budget should remain unchanged, ”says Bastien Drut.

“Yes, that saves us the furniture.

The financial envelope is substantial and we are counting on it.

TV rights are far greater than ticket revenues, including hospitality, ”Grégoire Kopp is reassuring.

The increase in TV rights this season is also one of the reasons why Franck McCourt did not want to sell the club this year.

Justice

Coronavirus in Marseille: The administrative court rejects the appeal against the closure of bars and restaurants

Sport

PSG-OM case: D-Day for Neymar and Alvaro before the disciplinary committee of the League

  • Marseilles

  • Economy

  • Sport

  • OM

  • Champions League

  • TV rights