The LNB Pro A and Pro B salaries for 2014/15 have been released and the figures are fascinating reading, particularly so considering I don’t speak French.
Fortunately, I have a mate with good French whose other half has even better French because she is French. This is how we managed to understand the clearly presented data. We’ll get to Pro A, the league you are more likely to follow in a moment but first Pro B because…MONACO HAS ALL THE MONEY
Seriously, this is just nuts. Their total gross salary is over €400,000 more than their next biggest spender in Pro B. Monaco, in their first season in Pro B, have a budget of €3.1 million, with €1.3 million assigned to salaries. The next biggest spenders Boulazac Basket Dordogne are spending €877,000. Monaco’s salary spend is also greater than 7 of Pro A’s 18 clubs.
Here’s how the top flight spending breaks down.
LNB Pro A Budgets and Salaries 2014/15
Team | Budget in K€ | Salaries in K€ |
|---|---|---|
| ASVEL Lyon Villeurbanne | 7300 | 2150 |
| Limoges CSP | 7206 | 2545 |
| Strasbourg IG | 5920 | 1914.5 |
| Le Mans Sarthe Basket | 5845 | 1716 |
| BCM Gravelines Dunkerque | 5425 | 1802 |
| Paris Levallois | 5375 | 1913 |
| Elan Béarnais Pau Lacq Orthez | 5323 | 1560 |
| Elan Chalon | 4386 | 1351 |
| SLUC Nancy Basket | 4368 | 1417 |
| Orléans Loiret Basket | 4332 | 1423 |
| Cholet Basket | 4280 | 1231 |
| JSF Nanterre | 3931 | 1515 |
| JDA Dijon | 3815 | 1250 |
| JL Bourg Basket | 3730 | 1281 |
| Champagne Châlons Reims Basket | 3609 | 1268 |
| SPO Rouen | 3347 | 1100 |
| SOM Boulogne | 3139 | 1033 |
| STB Le Havre | 2390 | 730 |
| Average | 4651 | 1511 |
| Total | 83721 | 27200 |
While Asvel’s total budget is larger, Limoges has a clear lead in the salary stakes with €395,000 more allocated towards wages. It’s not entirely surprising given Limoges having a guaranteed spot in the Euroleague regular season but it’s still a sizeable edge in expenditure. Strasbourg comes in slightly ahead of Paris Levallois in third. The decrease in wages is staggered without too many notable jumps until we hit the very end. STB Le Havre’s €730,000 in salaries is €303,000 lower than second lowest spenders Boulogne.
