Tom Brady? Yeah, overpriced. Tyreek Hill? Frankly, it does not make you dream. We are much more hyped by Léo Cremades and Benjamin Plu, quarterback and wide receiver of the French American football team. And yes, gentlemen, ladies, leave aside the
NFL, his three-thirty matches, his dollars that are overflowing with helmets, his jet lag, come and vibrate with our French. Especially since it’s been a long time since we last saw them.
After two years of stoppage, the Blues return on Saturday for the small final of the League of Nations (roughly the European Championship, nothing to do with the false cup of football) against Finland. A third place at the end after being … forfeited for the semi-final against Italy, in July, because of cases of Covid-19 in the workforce. “Yes, there was disappointment at the time but, there, we got it out of our heads, explains the head coach of the Blues, Jean-Philippe Singlor. The goal is to stay in the top three European teams. This period was complicated, some did not have time to play, there may be a problem with the rhythm. “
Defections among young people
Suddenly, this week of preparation in Wattignies (North), before flying to the country of Santa Claus, will be useful for everyone to get back afloat, even if “physically, they are all at the same level”, Singlor said. Because, with the cessation of the French championship for a year and a half, due to the health crisis, some have had no match in their legs for a while. To compensate for this lack of competition, players have gone to foreign leagues, such as Benjamin Plu in Finland, where the championships resumed in the spring. Others preferred to quit. No more no less.
“I was in England, when the health situation deteriorated and I had to return to France,” says Léo Cremades, who plays at La Courneuve. During the summer, it was a bit of chaos, especially since I had an offer from the United States which was declined because of the Covid. Me, I was not demotivated, but I understand those who were able to give up. ”
-40% of licensees
“Overall the workforce is stable, but we had a big loss in the U17-U19 category, a sacrificed generation, which should have arrived this year in the first team”, regrets Benoît Sirouet, president of the Black Panthers of Thonon. In total, the toll is heavy: – 40% of licensees compared to the situation before Covid-19 and a figure below 30,000 practitioners. “But given that the championship does not resume until early 2022, we still count on renewals to improve the figure,” tempers Pierre Trochet, director of development of the French Federation of American football.
So the clubs are tinkering and some are a little less to be pitied than others, like the Flash de la Courneuve, 11 times French champions: “Even if the championship was suspended, we never really stopped, we kept the link with our members, set up an online bodybuilding program, details Bruno Lacam-Caron, general manager of Flash. At the economic level, no partner has let us go and we have even been able to have surpluses with the public or private subsidies received. We cleaned up our finances and we went from negative equity to positive equity. “
No EMP for the FFFA
In Thonon, the club also held firm thanks to the support of local partners, who did not give up: “We lost in ticketing, in derivative products, but we made savings in parallel, indicates Benoît Sirouet. We are managing to break even, but without any advance in the budget. At the national level, even if we do not complain too much, it is pulling a little on the rope:
“We did not benefit from an EMP during the crisis, and all the money not spent during this year and a half was reinvested [soit 320.000 €] to help renew licenses, adds Pierre Trochet. We are still financially limited, with very few means of action. “
Championship broadcast on Sport in France
And then, at the level of sports bodies, we have already seen better support. “As we are in preparation for Paris 2024, the priority will not be at all put on a sport which is not Olympic”, regrets Arnaud Montgénie, French international and president of the Ours de Toulouse. The FFFA cannot even count on an official broadcaster to bring a little gravel into the crates. Despite everything, the French championship will still be broadcast, for the first time. Champagne.
Okay, don’t look on Tele 7 days the next broadcast of La Courneuve-Thonon, displays five stars of our championship in February, we spare you that: in total, four games of the regular season will be broadcast on the CNOSF channel, Sport in France, plus the semi-finals and the final. Arnaud Montgénie does not complain about it: “It’s better than nothing. In any case, few large-field team sports are broadcast on television today. You know what you have to do: blow up the audience figures for France-Finland, Saturday at 1 pm on Sport in France, and shout like never before after a pass from 70 yards from Léo Cremades. Touch down.