Lille Métropole Basket, a Pro B resident experiencing financial difficulties, has decided not to appeal the decision of the DNCCG which does not keep it in Pro B next season. The club applies for N1 and must provide a file by July 3 before examination by the CCG on July 5 or 8.
After an appeal to public partners the City of Lille, the Region, the European Metropolis of Lille and the Department of the North, and to private sponsors, the LMB did not manage to gather enough financial aid to ensure a minimum budget of 2.1 million euros for next season and pay off, over several years, its debts of around 900,000 euros.
The DNCCG, which controls the financial aspect of the clubs, has therefore decided not to keep the club in Pro B next year. This was accepted by the club, which is not appealing this decision, and has decided to apply for National 1 from now on.
“Private partners are following us for this new ambition [La Nationale 1] but, we must now also sign with our public partners, within the framework of this new project”, explains Jean-Victor Traoré, general manager and former player of Lille Métropole Basket.
The deadlines now: have the partners’ commitments signed and review the copy (certainly the budget will be lower) to present the project to the CCG (referent body for Nationale 1) before July 3 for examination of the file on July 5 or 8.
2.1 million euros in Pro B was a very low budget for the LMB. On average, the budget for National 1 is 1.3 million euros. We should therefore know, on July 8, whether the future of the club ends in a relegation to National 1, or worse, liquidation. This would also eliminate its U21 and U18 teams. The LMB has about twenty employees and 25 players.
