“Pending clarification from the government, no signal of which definitively condemns the season, the FFBB decides to postpone all final choices on a possible cancellation of amateur competitions”, indicated the French Basketball Federation in a press release released earlier this week.
Passing through Mulhouse on Wednesday, Jean-Pierre Siutat, president of the French Basketball Federation, took the opportunity to clarify these words.
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“If we decide to stop everything today, we will not be able to go back,” he said straight away. “In the immediate future, we are in the continuity of the statements made in mid-January by Jean Castex, our Prime Minister: no confinement, but a curfew. What will it be in a few weeks? We have no idea. We have no visibility. For the moment, as long as possible, we must maintain hope and continue to project ourselves into the future. We know very well that we will not arrive at the end of the traditional season as we know it. We are leaving ourselves until mid-March to work on alternative competitions. I think, for example, that young people could pick up fairly quickly: why couldn’t they meet on the occasion of sets? The vast majority of clubs wish to resume. However, both face different situations, not all encountering the same issues. “
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An 18% drop in the number of licensees
Jean-Pierre Siutat also wishes to recall the financial efforts made by the FFBB. “We have already lost five million euros on our estimated budget. We had counted on a decrease in the number of our licensees of around 6%, but it is 18%, which means that we have lost more licensees than expected. Despite everything, we are making efforts to continue supporting our clubs. “
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In this case, as indicated in its press release, the FFBB is mobilizing, “out of its own funds, in addition to the first ” Return to the Game ” fund of 2 million euros, new support for clubs, in the amount of of 2.6 million euros, which will make it possible to return to the clubs, even in the event of resumption of the game: the part corresponding to the federal extension of the license of their players; entry fees for French championships (NF3, NF2, NF1, NM3, NM2, U15 and U18 Élite) for the 2020-2021 season; secondary authorizations and federal packages related to canceled meetings. “
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