The Minister Delegate for Sports Roxana Maracineanu undertakes to compensate the new losses linked to the Omicron variant for the clubs. She was this Tuesday morning the guest of France Bleu Occitanie.
Stade Toulousain could not defend its chances on the pitch last Saturday in the European Cup against Cardiff. Defeat on the green carpet which made a lot of noise because the club, admittedly affected by the Covid, could field a team. You yourself wrote to the EPCR, which organizes the competition, to ask for an explanation. Did you get an answer?
I saw the mail from Stade Toulousain players, that’s why I wrote to the EPCR. Fortunately we have a happy ending and Toulouse is not eliminated. But it is certain that in the current health and economic context, it is a decision which, rightly, may seem unfair and which is difficult and damaging for the club. So, for the moment, we have explained in this letter the French health protocol, how we went about it so that there is no even larger cluster in the teams, whether it is rugby, but also other sports. And that’s why we encourage everyone who is in professional clubs to be widely tested, including players, of course, but also club employees. And that’s what actually made the organizer wince, who felt that there were too many positive cases. But this is the only way we have found in France to protect ourselves against the spread of the virus and to ensure that people are isolated as quickly as possible when we know that they are in contact.
This is not the first time that the PCR has been controversial. Isn’t there a problem with the governance of European rugby?
I think that in general the international sports movement is a little lost, it is the only activity or really that is impacted today because equity is needed between countries and the crisis is global and it is difficult for them too to understand the crisis management of all the countries to know how, how to go about it. I had already said this at the start of the crisis. It is also important that the sports movement positions itself and also affirms doctrines that it would be good to follow. So obviously, they will never be able to impose them on the country, but at least give some indications also to help governments to have consistency in the decisions that are taken concerning sport. And it’s true that we are still waiting a bit to see the sports movement position itself on these issues.
Stade Toulousain, like many other clubs, loses a lot of money because of the void. Are you going to help the Top 14 clubs financially?
We have said it since the arrival of this Omicron variant, the state will be there as we were to help with the restriction of days behind closed doors in the first periods of the health crisis and we have reactivated this ticket office assistance. Now it’s for those three weeks where the clubs have been impacted. Fortunately, from February 2, there will be a return. As announced by the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister has normal gauges as before. It will be more one of the moment when there is the vaccination pass which will be in force. There will no longer be the obligation to wear a mask.
This aid corresponds to how much Roxana Maracineanu? Can you tell us this morning?
There has already been 220 million euros which have been unlocked for the professional sport of football, rugby, handball, basketball, all sports combined for women and men. To compensate for this loss of ticketing, we will release the necessary amountwhether on ticketing aid, but also on other types of aid, taking into consideration the losses that have been suffered.
No figures, therefore, for the moment to give us?
It will be as needed. It’s really each club that will give us its particular case and according to its needs, its own losses, we will compensate (for example on Saturday the Stade Toulousain lost 600,000 euros editor’s note).
As you said, the gauges will be finished on February 2. What will be the instructions? Sitting up?
There will be no more restrictions. We will also have to wait 15 more days to return to the bar part since we know that, especially in rugby, this is what also allows us to stay afloat. So there are still about ten days of difference between February 2 and February 16 so that we return to normal on the restoration as well. But the clubs appreciated precisely this visibility that was offered to them and even preferred. Here we remain on a status quo rather than passing on proportional gauges by then.
One last question. Perrine Laffont, 2018 Olympic champion in mogul skiing, is the only licensee in the Pyrenees, the only athlete leaving for the Beijing Olympics, which begins in a fortnight. Isn’t there a problem in terms of territorial balance?
Look, she’s a huge champion. I am happy that she will shine the Pyrenees in Beijing in a few days. She’s been very, very strong lately, just like biathlete skiers, downhill skiers. It’s very good to have a reigning Olympic champion. I think you have to be proud of it and support it as best you can.
Have you given a medal objective for the French delegation?
You know, it’s going to be complicated in Tokyo since it’s winter. It’s cold and I think all the athletes are very stressed not to catch the Covid, to be able to line up at the start of their race in Beijing. And me, my will is really to be by their side. We will have to see with the law that is in the process of being passed at the moment and I absolutely want to see it through, but also with the health conditions that are imposed by China. But my desire is to be there for the athletes.