20th in Ligue 1, the Girondins are more than ever threatened with relegation. The atmosphere, already weighed down by catastrophic results, was a little more tense this Sunday at the Matmut Atlantique. Bottle throwing, insults against goalkeeper Benoit Costil and a lively exchange between the Ultras and the players at the exit of the stadium. Assistant to Pierre Hurmic, in charge of sports for the city of Bordeaux, Mathieu Hazouard believes that it is necessary at all costs to avoid breaking the link between the club and the actors supposed to support it. Interview.
France Bleu Gironde: the Girondins de Bordeaux are doing badly, how does the town hall see this?
Mathieu Hazouard : It’s bad. It’s a heartbreaker. I keep recalling the magical history of the Girondins. With the mayor, we initiated a committee last year when there was a risk of a raid. I talked to him this morning. We are going to make a call to say that the Girondins are consubstantial with the history of Bordeaux. It is our heritage. We cannot resolve to a descent into Ligue 2. We are calling for mobilization but a positive, constructive call. I encourage and urge all Bordelais and all Girondins to come to the next match. We all know what a twelfth man is.
At a time when everyone needs support, it shouldn’t be cracked.
They were only 18,000 on Sunday, is this proof of a lack of love?
I don’t know if there is a disenchantment. In all I can’t bring myself to it. The trajectory of the Girondins, it must be the maintenance but also return to the times when they played the European Cup. We have the means, there is a president Gérard Lopez who reiterated his attachment and his desire to be part of the long term. That’s what I remember. Beyond this stage that we will cross collectively, we must also build for the future.
Beyond the results, there were problematic behavior yesterday at the stadium, bottle throwing, a player accused of racism by some of the supporters. What consequences for the image of the city?
We also need to take a step back. Bottle throwing, there are unfortunately in all the stadiums of France and Europe. What I see are supporters who are angry, a legitimate anger, which was perhaps a little deaf, and who want to show that they have an attachment to the club and that they want the players to show also their attachment to the club. We must all, collectively, push in the right direction. This is what has allowed for nine months to have a peaceful situation. At a time when everyone needs support, it shouldn’t be cracked. Either way, I don’t want it.
READ ALSO: the Ultramarines accuse Benoît Costil of racism and demand his departure.
Are you already examining the possible consequences of a descent into Ligue 2?
Of course we examine them. Alain Anziani and Pierre Hurmic pledged that there would be no “Girondins de Bordeaux tax”, no “Matmut stadium tax”. A descent or a hold does not change much. The only thing that changes are less TV rights and possibly less revenue from viewers. But the question is: “Is a president a long-term one? And in this case, we reinforce something. Regarding the stadium, all the hypotheses are on the table. They range from redemption, it is still necessary to find a buyer, to seeing the Girondins take up more space in the operation. I honestly don’t have any concerns about that.