2023-08-16 20:00:56
By Le Figaro with AFP
Posted 4 hours ago, Updated 1 hour ago
Jean-Baptiste Aldigé (left), president of Biarritz Olympique. GAIZKA IROZ / AFP
Earlier in the day, the FFR had blocked the licenses of Biarritz Olympique players.
A time threatened, the opening match of the Pro D2 season should take place: Biarritz settled its debts to the French Rugby Federation (FFR) on Wednesday, which blocked the licenses of the Basque club, finally authorized to face Colomiers on Thursday .
At the end of an afternoon of psychodrama, the Biarritz Olympique ended up finding a financial solution, the professional club coming to the aid of its support association, indebted for 117,000 euros to the FFR. And, provided that the transfers are effective Thursday, the Biarritz club can breathe. The start of the 2023-2024 season should be given on Thursday evening (9:00 p.m.) at the Aguiléra stadium, where the red and white supporters dream of rising to the Top 14.
To pay off this liability, the professional section (SASP) paid the association nearly 40,000 euros due for the licenses of its players over the past season, as well as 50,000 euros in cash advance, AFP learned from a source. close to the club. The rest was made up by the provision of Benoît Baby, employee of the association and member of the management of the France team under 20, with the FFR. “SASP flew to the rescue of the association, victim of the risky management of a management team that left it barely a week ago“, asserted this source.
Intractable release
The Biarritz Olympique association was led until last week by former player David Cousiney, supported in particular by ex-international Jérôme Thion as treasurer. Jean-Christophe Alnot, new president of the association, confirmed on RMC that transfers would bereceivedThursday and that the match against Colomiers, a time in doubt, would be played normally.
An intractable press release from the FFR, at midday, had left serious uncertainties hanging over his outfit. “It is expected that all clubs have settled their account“before any new season, had decided the federation, stressing that the Biarritz Olympique Rugby association was”still in debt» and claiming a «immediate solution».
The professional club, on the other hand, said that it was in good standing with the payment of its licenses and considered itself “taken hostage» par son association support. «I’m going through it all“, had declared to theAFP Jean-Baptiste Aldigé, president of the SASP. “We, we paid our licenses for three years to the amateur association. That they made the choice to use (this money) for other causes, I am powerless in the face of it“Said the leader, warning against the damage that would cause a non-registration of players from Biarritz, a club which has 100 employees and has a budget of 10 million euros.
Already uncertainty before last season
The BO had already faced similar uncertainty at the start of the 2022-23 season, before the licenses were issued in extremis “in exchange for a firm commitmentof the club to settle its accounts. However, according to the FFR, the schedule “was unfortunately not respected and no agreement was reached between the SASP and the association, leaving the latter in a debit situation“. This mortgage lifted, Biarritz should therefore be able to receive Colomiers at the start of the season, a match scheduled on Canal+ Sport.
The Basque club, which signed English center Jonathan Joseph, Welsh scrum-half Rhys Webb and right prop Mohamed Haouas, showed its high ambitions in the offseason, after finishing the previous year in 11th place. And he now hopes to be more talked about on the field than outside.
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