Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday a new envelope of around 400 million euros for the benefit of the sports sector, paralyzed by the health crisis, with aid to clubs, federations, young people in difficulty and sports halls. During a meeting with officials from the sports world, the Head of State hoped that sports activities for young people in clubs could resume in December after having been suspended by the Covid-19 crisis, said the Elysée. .
This recovery, which depends on the evolution of the epidemic, will be linked to the implementation of reinforced protocols, in particular for indoor sports, said the Presidency of the Republic.
The much-awaited aid was decided during a videoconference with players from the world of sport, who had appealed for help, pointing to the catastrophic financial consequences of the reconfinement: stadiums without ticketing, closure of sports halls and fall of club memberships.
The clubs will be able to benefit from aid compensating for the loss of ticketing representing around 30 million euros per month for the last quarter of 2020, i.e. a total of around 100 million, the Elysée announced after the meeting.
They will also benefit from exemptions from charges valued at 105 million euros.
READ ALSO >> Apps, lives, online coaching … How the Covid has promoted the emergence of sport 2.0
As for the return of spectators to the stadiums, it is time for patience. This will not happen before the start of 2021 and it will have to respect a gauge which will be linked to the capacity of the stadiums or halls, said the Elysée. The return of the public “is not possible in December” due to the evolution of the Covid-19 epidemic, said Emmanuel Macron, during the videoconference with the sports world.
A “sports pass” in 2021
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the President of the Republic also announced the launch in 2021 of a “sport pass” system to help young people practice a sporting activity, at a total cost of 100 million euros.
The criteria for this aid intended for families to pay for club membership or buy equipment have yet to be defined, for a launch in 2021, said the Elysée.