It doesn't make any noise, but gives off an impression of reliability whatever the context. Recruited for the reserve in N3, the left side of the Girondins Nathanaël Baï is one of the good surprises of the start of the season for the N2 team, on the right side where he helped out first before moving on after the injury of Youssouf Assogba. “I almost prefer it now.” I have a decent right foot, but it allows me to get in on my left. I am offensive and the coach allows me to go in the middle,” says this father of two children, who after a week at the training center and time in a hotel, found an apartment to bring his family over.
Girondins de Bordeaux: what future for the Château du Haillan?
After the fall into N2 and the social plan which reduced the club's administrative team to ten employees, management of the majority of the headquarters and the training site returned to the City of Bordeaux, owner. The use of its central residence is under consideration
Personally, the Parisian is experiencing a sort of renaissance. At 25, he “thought about stopping” football this summer, before sending an SMS to Erwan Lannuzel, the reserve coach. “I already did it last season. I said to myself why not. Erwan knew me from Poitiers (in 2021-2022) and told me that he appreciated my profile. If he hadn't answered me, I wouldn't be playing anymore today. »
Friends Tchouaméni and Youssouf
Instead of embarking on training as a sports coach, he found a place where he was trained from the age of 14 to 18. In U14 at Red Star, he was spotted by Arnaud Vaillant, a Bordeaux scout in the Paris region, and preferred the Scapular to Monaco and Valenciennes. “They had the best project. » He joins a generation that will become French U19 champions in 2017 with Aurélien Tchouaméni and Jules Koundé. “We spent a lot of time laughing together. It was a strength. »
The full-back is still in regular contact with the Real Madrid midfielder, with Zaydou Youssouf (in Portuguese D1 in Famalicão) “who follows our results”, or Ervin Taha, opponent in N2 with Bourges. But, not participating in the final phase of the title, he was one of the players not retained.
“They explained to me why, but I didn’t understand. It came later. During my training, I learned a lot, but I lacked surpassing myself. Leaving my friends made me mature. »
“I was discouraged”
In 2017-2018, the lively defender hoped to bounce back at Niort but trained with the L2 group and made five appearances on the bench without coming on. “I was told to be patient. And at the end of the season, the managers told me that they were not keeping me for reasons that were not very valid. They wanted to place other players. » Six moves followed in six years, in N3 with a move to AEP Kozanis (Greek D3). After a final season at Sablé-sur-Sarthe, he had “the impression of having done the trick”. “Each time, there were disagreements. For example, in Avoine, I participated in the climb to N2 (in 2023) and when I left I was told that my size no longer corresponds. I was discouraged. »
Since the start of the season, he has once again said “having fun”. “There are only good guys in the group, the coach (Bruno Irles) explains things well. When there are no cheaters, a common objective, when it works, we are rewarded. » Under a one-year federal contract, he has regained his appetite. “I want to progress. As long as the Girondins count on me, I will be there. »
