The Minister for Sports Roxana Maracineanu, October 5, 2020. -
Jacques Witt / SIPA
"The last arbitrations are underway" at the European Commission so that the French government is authorized to provide aid of 110 million euros to professional sport, in great difficulty with the reconfinement, the Minister in charge of Sports indicated on Saturday in Pau. Roxana Maracineanu.
Pending the green light from Brussels, these 110 million "are recorded with Bercy for pro sport because we are aware that the situation is very penalizing for these structures which must continue to pay human resources charges", recalled the minister traveling in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques for the Canoe-Kayak World Cup.
“There will be a distribution made between the sports taking into account their dependence on ticketing and their financial situation.
All of this will be studied on a case-by-case basis, ”declared the minister, refuting that the sum allocated to rugby, particularly dependent on income from home matches, has already been recorded.
At the end of October, a source close to the National Rugby League (LNR) said that its clubs were awaiting an envelope of around 40 million.
"There is not at all these 40 million of rugby, I do not know where this figure comes from", disputed Maracineanu.
In addition, there is no need to worry about it.
"
At the same time, the minister confirmed “to work with Bercy on the exemption from employer charges on wages.
Sports events are in a special situation since the payroll must be paid while there is zero revenue in front ”, she stressed.
Roxana Maracineanu also deplored having to “convince certain federations or certain leagues to maintain the activity of these athletes.
(...) The actors themselves should not pose difficulties for athletes.
"
Tony Parker, French basketball star today president of ASVEL, predicted Saturday in an interview with L'Equipe "the death of basketball" without state support.
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Roxana maracineanu