LLife is never a long, quiet river at Biarritz Olympique. Taken over last summer by the duo Shaun Hegarty – Arnaud Dubois and in good shape since the start of the Pro D2 season, the club was inflicted on Monday with a heavy sanction by the National Rugby League (LNR): a withdrawal of five points in the ranking, a fine of 10,000 euros and the revocation of the suspension of another fine of 10,000 euros. At issue: delays in the transmission of budgetary documents to the A2R, the financial policeman of the LNR.
“I am very surprised, and even more than surprised, disappointed,” whispered the chairman of the BO supervisory board Shaun Hegarty, contacted by “Sud Ouest”. “It’s not deserved at all. There is no problem of sporting fairness. Today, we have all the basic elements required of us. This is what makes us most stunned by this decision. »
Trust and long lease
According to the manager, A2R's concerns concern the long administrative lease (BEA) of the Aguilera stadium which linked the city of Biarritz and the club, and transferred this summer, at the time of the takeover, to the trust created specially between the company B.Otiful of Shaun Hegarty (77% of the BOPB), the SASP BOPB represented by the chairman of the board Arnaud Dubois and the Otium group of the far-right billionaire Pierre-Édouard Sterin. In exchange, the latter financially helped the BOPB to pass the A2R milestone. Contacted by “Sud Ouest”, the body did not wish to comment further.
Biarritz Olympique: the underside of the rescue plan
The BO will know on Tuesday if it is maintained in Pro D2. The A2R postponed its decision. If trust reigns at the club, the assembly carried out by mayor Maider Arosteguy and billionaire Pierre-Edouard Stérin calls out
Shaun Hegarty concedes that the explanatory documents for this assembly took “a long time to provide”. “The club provided the commission with the numerous required documents, within the allotted time frame. The BOPB considers that it has complied with the necessary steps to meet the regulatory requirements,” states a press release from the club published in the wake of that of the LNR.
Recently, A2R blocked the registration of new player licenses at Biarritz Olympique. A sanction, finally lifted, which forced Aitor Hourcade, loaned in November by Aviron Bayonnais, to wait many weeks before being able to play his first minutes in his new jersey. “The licenses have been released, which proves that there is no financial problem,” says Shaun Hegarty.
And confirms that the BOPB will appeal the sanctions imposed. Appeal to the FFR which generally renders its decision within two months. However, it is not suspensive. For its last match of the first leg at Colomiers on Friday (9 p.m.), Biarritz is therefore likely to appear as 7th in Pro D2, after having defended and retained its 4th place during last Friday's success against Nice (16 -0).
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