In all, six proven cases of Covid have ruined this exceptional derby between Brive and Clermont, which should have been held just after the Christmas celebrations on December 26. Nearly 12,000 people, it was almost the biggest covid event organized in Corrèze, and it will not be held. For France Bleu Limousin, Xavier Ric, General Manager of CAB agreed to come back to this particular moment.
No derby, is it a big disappointment for you?
It’s a big disappointment, it’s a big slap in the face and especially weeks of work that fall apart in a few hours on the sporting part, but also on all the event and commercial part for the CAB. And it’s really a hard blow and a stop that hurts your head.
We expected 12,000 supporters, more than 1,000 partners. Was this match important, economically speaking?
The club and its leaders wanted to make a great Christmas present for the supporters, our public and our partners. And it is true that this match, during Boxing Day, was timely. I am thinking above all of our service providers, such as caterers, in short, all the people who collaborate and work around the CAB, for them too, it is a dead loss. For now, it’s too early to assess. But, that was which was a big event. It’s really a sudden stop that hurts the head and especially to learn it only 24 hours before the events, it is not easy to manage
Having been warned 24 hours before, is that what pisses you off this morning?
The other two matches that were postponed (UBB-RCT and Racing-Pau) were postponed 24 or 48 hours before us. It was easier to manage than us. We learn at the last moment. that there are positive cases among Clermontois. Officially, before Friday evening, we were not informed that there were positive cases at ASM, nor from the League or the club. We learned Friday evening that he had doubts about the holding of the meeting. But since the beginning of the week, we had not had any communication alerting us neither the league nor our friends from Clermont. So that’s why we’re also a little pissed off.
“There, we were sure to be able to play in front of our audience”
Xavier Ric, was it one of the first times we could see a derby with an audience?
The last one was played behind closed doors, in a particular context and to find our audience, to find a hot stadium, it was a great opportunity. I am also very sad for our supporters. It was a nice Christmas present that we wanted to do with entertainment at the end of the game. And the fact that it is postponed, that stops everything.
At this time, is there a postponement date considered for this match?
No, there are no postponement dates at this time. We will also see depending on how the European Cup will develop, the European Challenge. Otherwise, afterwards, it will be to position on free dates during the Six Nations Tournament. But it is certain that with the health context, we do not know at all where we are going, how we are going. Are we going to play with a stadium with gauges? Or in a closed-door stadium? There, we were sure to be able to play in front of our audience, to have the support of a whole city, a whole department.
“I hope the match against Pau on January 2 can be held”
Jeremy (Davidson) and his staff did a great job with Saïd (Hirèche) and all the players really mobilized for the event. And I can tell you that the whole week has been studious to make a big game. From now on, we will have to stick together, re-mobilize, find the words to re-motivate and start again to go to Pau on January 2. It will also be a somewhat special date the day after New Years Eve. I hope the match can be held because afterwards, we have all the problematic of this Top 14 calendar where there are few free dates and weekends. So, if we start to cancel a lot of matches, we will have to find solutions.