This is a crucial week for the Élan Béarnais. The club saved its skin by having obtained authorization to remain in Betclic Elite for next season. The budgets have yet to be validated and the outlines of this club still to be drawn, which will have to rethink its priorities and its teams. It was the French group Eat4Good which bought the shares held by the Americans. Sébastien Ménard is the leader, he has also been elected to the city of Biarritz since 2020 and involved in political life since the 2000s. It is he who will lead the dance for these decisive weeks, with David Bonnemason-Carrère.
A tandem at the head of the Élan Béarnais
Sebastien Menard is 41 years old. At the town hall of Biarritz, he has been elected in charge of innovation since 2020. He therefore takes the lead of the Élan Béarnais in tandem with David Bonnemason-Carrère. It will be a double presidency now for the Elan. Concretely, Biarrot bought the shares of the club held by the Americans, ie 72%. The remaining shares are shared by other smaller players who were already part of the landscape.
Politically, this basketball-loving savior is close to the right, labeled En Marche since 2017. He was a candidate at that time in the legislative elections in Seine-Saint-Denis. He has previously worked for several ministers under Jacques Chirac. Besides being a politician, he is also a businessman. The 40-year-old co-directs two companies that produce and promote food solutions, Eat4Good and BeautySané.
Reunion and resumption of training
A meeting is scheduled for next week with all the main players in the file. While waiting for this first physical meeting, we know that there are obviously a lot of telephone exchanges to prepare everything. The continuation of the calendar would like that player training resumes on August 12, theoretically. It might be delayed.
Which team with a smaller budget?
“We will have to face some difficulties in relation to the fact that we will have less meansexplains Éric Bartecheky, the coach. We already have players under contract who have value: Vitalis Chikoko, Giovan Oniangue, Gérald Ayayi. We have the young Fabio Milanèse who signed his first professional contract. […] It is certain that we will have to leave with the rest of the payroll which is reduced. We will have to leave with a slightly smaller workforce to distribute the rest of the payroll over fewer players, watch the market, call on younger players.”