“Last year, you were the first French club to pass the €15m budget mark. Where are you at this season?
We are on the same level (€15.76m, up 5%) and always with this particularity of having transformed our economic model. In 2014, the budget was €5 million, including €2.9 from partnerships and €1.6 from local authorities. Today, sponsors represent more than €8 million, a record in French basketball. The Euroleague brand counts, but it is also our general project that appeals.
The inauguration of your new hall is scheduled for the end of 2023, is this an economic springboard for the club?
The LDLC Arena will allow us to go from 5,600 seats (Ability of the Astroball) at 12,000 and enter another dimension. We can expect between 2 and 5 M€ of additional budget. But, at the same time, we are also discussing with the city of Villeurbanne because we want to stay at the Astroballe for the Championship game and a few Euroleague matches.
“John Textor is not insensitive to basketball”
Olympique Lyonnais is about to be bought by the American John Textor, is this also an opportunity for Asvel (in which the OL group is a shareholder)?
It’s still too early to talk about it. There are still issues between OL and John Textor for him to officially become the owner. We met him with Tony Parker during Lyon-PSG (0-1, September 18)he is not insensitive to basketball (smile). We do not doubt that it could be interesting for him but we do not draw plans on the comet. »
