Girondins de Bordeaux. While waiting for the club to recover, the future of Château du Haillan remains uncertain

Since the relegation of the Girondins de Bordeaux to National 2, the question of the club’s lifestyle is more than ever at the center of debate. Owner of the Château du Haillan, the Bordeaux town hall is looking into the future of this property which has become disproportionate to the needs and finances of the club.

What will become of the Château du Haillan? The question is at the heart of discussions between Bordeaux and the leaders of the Girondins de Bordeaux. It is on this 29 hectare site, owned by the City, that the Bordeaux club set up its base camp in 1988. But the 850 m² of the Château de Bel-Air, the fifteen football fields, the numerous changing rooms and even the premises of the bar-restaurant, have become disproportionate to the finances and needs of the club, in receivership.

Last June, the Bordeaux municipal council extended for one year the occupation agreement which linked the Girondins and the municipality, owner of the site on the Haillan plain. The annual rent was around 28,000 euros for the entire complex, or a little more than 2,000 euros per month. Despite the municipality’s efforts, the club, relegated to National 2 this summer, had to return the keys to the castle in November.

The club’s situation did not allow it to manage everything.

Mathieu Hazouard,

Deputy in charge of sports at Bordeaux town hall

Although it escaped judicial liquidation, the decision of which will be handed down by the commercial court on January 30, the club is not yet out of its bad economic situation. “Since the painful times of this summer, we have been setting things up with the club to find out what facilities they really need”explains Mathieu Hazouard, deputy in charge of sports at Bordeaux town hall. The rented surface area on the Haillan plain therefore had to be reduced.

The club will now only have the professional locker rooms, part of the castle to accommodate the 12 employees who survived the social plan which made more than 80 members redundant, and the training grounds available. For the use of the latter, the rental is billed at 82 euros per hour. Enough to allow the municipality to find its way, while the management of the equipment represents a high annual cost. “We have an obligation to make them pay for the rental of the pitch since it is an almost professional club,” indicates Mathieu Hazouard.

If we didn’t do it, the regional chamber of accounts would come and slap us on the wrist.

Mathieu Hazouard

Deputy Mayor of Bordeaux in charge of sports

For Thomas Cazenave, elected from the opposition, the agreement on the use of Haillan is an important lever for the City to “help the club with economic reconstruction”. “We must continue to support the Girondins de Bordeaux, they are part of our heritage. We must do everything to climb each step and reach the highest level”he considers.

The question of the future of the Haillan premises regularly arises at the Bordeaux municipal council. The occupation of the other unoccupied square meters is still under discussion. “We are in a transitional phase. We must define what we do with it so that ultimately it costs the City as little as possible”insists Mathieu Hazouard.

The Girondins could therefore have to share their home, while waiting for a sporting comeback. The elected official in charge of sports at the municipality wants to be reassuring about the town hall’s support for the club, which he reiterates. “We would be very happy if they return to Nationale 1 next year. This place is intended to once again become a place fully used by the club.”