Handball. D2F or N1F, training center… What future for Mérignac Handball?

With its exit from the elite confirmed, the MHB is awaiting its hearing before the CNOSF to determine whether it will play in D2F or N1F in September. The club, which has so far lost its accreditation for its training center, is hopeful of returning to the second division.

"It was a bolt from the blue." Captain last season, Léa Lignières, like the rest of her teammates, took a real blow to the head when the National Control and Management Commission (CNCG) announced Mérignac Handball's administrative relegation to Nationale 1, the third national level, on June 24. The Girondin club had nevertheless retained its place in the sporting elite, at the end of its best season since its promotion in 2019-2020 ( ^9th ).

Financially, the MHB did not meet the CNCG's (1) criteria for playing in the Women's League next season. "We had partners who signed up every year but hadn't paid for three or four years. We managed to recover the amount we were missing, bringing in around a hundred thousand euros. But behind that, we were still missing 300,000 euros," explains Laurent Marronneaud, president of the professional sector for less than a year with his new team. To fill this (big) hole in the racket, the club had "a written promise from an investor for several seasons," according to the club's co-president. But the latter "didn't keep his word" and didn't give a cent.

"We had to accept the idea that we would no longer be part of the D1. And then we were told that we might not be in D2."

"We had to swallow the idea that we would no longer be part of the D1," points out Léa Lignières. "And then, there comes a time when we're told that we might not be in D2, so it's complicated." Indeed, the MHB, which was already following a repayment plan (it still has a deficit of 140,000 euros to smooth over the coming seasons, according to Laurent Marronneaud), is now trying to save the day by validating its place in the second division, but its meeting before the CNCG appeals committee also resulted in a negative response. According to the club, this was not due to a budget problem, but to missing financial documents, as indicated in its press release of July 31.

"During the hearing, we were asked if we had our updated forecast plan and cash flow plan (a first version of these documents had been sent in April)," explains Laurent Marronneaud. "We didn't have them, but they were due by July 31st by the CNCG (the hearing took place on July 25th, editor's note), and we told them we would send them by then. So we were a little surprised when we received the deliberation on the 30th. We spoke with the CNCG, we wanted to know if we could discuss because our two documents were ready the next day. But they told us to seek conciliation before the CNOSF (French National Olympic and Sports Committee)."

"The goal is to regain accreditation for the training center as quickly as possible."

According to the co-president, "the response to the CNCG's call indicates that our budget is coherent, stable, and transparent. We would end up with a budget that fluctuates between 700,000 and 800,000 euros in D2 (compared to 1.1 million in D1)." This would make it "one of the best in the second division," according to Laurent Marronneaud.

While the club has high hopes of reaching the second national tier next season, with this demotion, it has lost its VAP status (access route to professionalism), a necessary key to considering promotion to the first division in the future, and the approval of its training center. "It's a goal to regain it as quickly as possible," says Laurent Marronneaud. "It's part of the club's DNA. There are little "pearls" all around, and we have this responsibility to be able to give them the best working tools to progress."

So what happens to the players who were supposed to be part of the training center this year? "For now, they're staying, we're working a little differently," the president points out. "The goal is to work on the budgetary aspect to reapply for approval. The players will be integrated into the professional squad." The club remains hopeful of retaining VAP status following the conciliation with the CNOSF, as happened to Nantes in the past.

While awaiting its hearing before the court, which will take place on Thursday, August 21 (12 p.m.) and the resulting decision, the group is continuing its preparation, which began on July 21. "We're training a lot to be ready when we need to be," says Léa Lignières. "We're trying to create a group with the girls who stayed and the young people who are joining it so that, if we stay in D2, we have a very good group."

In the event of a negative opinion from the CNOSF or if the CNCG does not follow a favorable opinion from the CNOSF, the MHB would remain in N1 and its future would be much more uncertain.

(1) We were unable to contact the CNCG.