Cost of Reims’ relegation to Ligue 2 revealed | OneFootball

After seven uninterrupted years in Ligue 1, Stade de Reims dropped down to the second division following a defeat to FC Metz in the Ligue 1 relegation/promotion playoffs. The financial burden of the relegation is still not fully known, but Reims can expect to operate on a far thinner budget.

Le Parisien spoke to Jérémie Bastien, a lecturer at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne in football economics, who suggested that Reims could have a third of the budget they had in Ligue 1.

Reims are estimated to have operated on a €60 million budget this season, with Bastien stating, “With relegation, the budget will probably be around €20 million. We’re in a difficult economic climate with a drop in TV rights. In Ligue 2, that will represent €5 to €10 million. Fortunately, the club is breaking even; costs were controlled with the resale of players last winter.”

There’s also an expected reduction in sponsorship and season ticket sales. There were reportedly 9,000 season tickets sold for this season, which earned the club around €5-7 million. However, in Ligue 2, the prediction is that this revenue stream will only earn them around €3 million.

Still, Reims will likely have to take measures to reduce their current spending, and Le Parisien writes that there will probably be a reduction in payroll across various departments, although no redundancies have been announced. The only measure that has currently been taken is an automatic reduction in player wages as per their contracts.

GFFN | Nick Hartland