By the editorial staff
Published 4 minutes ago, Updated now
Jean-Baptiste Aldigé, the president of Biarritz Olympique. Frederic Chambert / Panoramic
The leaders of Biarritz, supported by the town halls of the two cities, wish to turn towards the Spanish Basque Country due to competition with Bayonne.
What if Biarritz Olympique relocated its matches to San Sebastián in the Spanish Basque Country? Basque media Basque Daily announced this Sunday that discussions are underway – between the leaders of the BO and the town halls of Biarritz and San Sebastian – for the construction of an 11,000-seat enclosure next to the Anoeta stadium, where Real Sociedad plays in La Liga and where took place the last semi-finals of the Top 14.
Louis-Vincent Gave and Jean-Baptiste Aldigé, owner and president of the Biarritz club, would be ready to invest between 12 and 15 million euros in this project. The town hall of Biarritz would pay the same amount and that of San Sebastián would invest around six million, according to the Basque media. The BO would nevertheless retain its head office in Biarritz, as well as its training center and its rugby school.
Long-standing project
This relocation project had, for a long time, been mentioned by Biarritz leaders, but the conflict with the “Galactics” (Imanol Harinordoquy, Jérôme Thion, Dimitri Yachvili and Jimmy Marlu) returned to the club at the head of the association (which occupies the amateur sector) had delayed this project. Recently, Louis-Vincent Gave and Jean-Baptiste Aldigé were also in conflict with the town hall of Biarritz over the renovation of Aguiléra. The climate has since calmed down.
Read alsoHow Haouas lives his “second chance” in Biarritz
According to South Westthe BO would not have abandoned this idea of relocation across the border, due to the keen competition with neighboring Aviron Bayonnais, which recently renovated its Jean-Dauger stadium and which is playing in Top 14. Biarritz is currently 15th and penultimate in Pro D2, before hosting Brive on January 5, for the 15th day.
Access the slideshow (10)
