On the eve of the second round of municipal elections, the Girondin supporters met tomorrow, Saturday, in front of the Bordeaux town hall to request the departure of the club leaders, whom they consider too mercantile. "It will be a cry of anger, a cry of concern, but also a cry of passion", summarize, exasperated, the Ultramarines, the main group of supporters behind this rally which aims to be festive and popular, with the wearing of mask recommended.
Launched a week ago under the hashtag #NouslesGirondins, this “cry of anger” has received the support of thousands of supporters on social networks as well as that of former players of various generations. One of the most emblematic, defender Marc Planus, said on a local radio "no longer recognize his club", evoking "a deleterious atmosphere internally".
[GATHERING]
We are meeting all the supporters of the Girondins in the streets of the city, on Saturday June 27, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
It will be a cry of anger, a cry of concern, but also a cry of passion. # NousLesGirondins pic.twitter.com/ChFN9LbwMX
"Have a formal discussion with the owners of the club"
The choice of the town hall of Bordeaux, which receives from Girondins an annual rent of 3.75 million euros for the use of the Matmut Atlantique stadium, is not trivial. The two main candidates of the 2nd round, the outgoing Nicolas Florian (LR) and the ecologist Pierre Hurmic, concerned about the crisis which affects the club during this electoral period, have taken up the niche recently. They both denounced the degraded image of the club, exclusive property of the American investment fund King Street since December 2019 and the eviction of GACP, including the representative Frédéric Longuepée and its director in charge of ticketing Antony Thiodet have been mistrustful for months.
In mid-May, Nicolas Florian asked to "have a formal discussion with the owners of the club" and no longer with President Longuepée. The latter had replied that the mayor "is campaigning, like others", adding that a meeting had already taken place for almost an hour between Nicolas Florian and Daniel Erhmann, representative of King Street.
⚽️The political version of the crisis in the Girondins:
👉 @ nflorian33 on the front line
👉 @ PierreHurmic is putting pressure
👉The town hall / King Street meeting not yet fixed
👉 @ PhilippePoutou soon capo des @ ub87officiel😁 #Girondins #Bordeaux #FCGB https://t.co/WPDuayoqSa
“I sent him a six-page letter detailing the club's strategy and King Street's firm commitment. I think King Street will call him back in writing very soon, "said the manager.
Marketing-oriented management
For months, these leaders and their management focused on marketing to the detriment of the sportsman, have been unanimous against them and worried. Les Girondins (12th in L1) is "a football club, not a brand or an entertainment company", the Ultramarines launched in a press release in November. In particular, the line of sight: the ticketing policy, which had reduced the number of seats to boost prices.
Supporters had even invited themselves to the Haillan, accusing the new leaders of being "only a comma ashamed of a glorious history". Then their anger was accentuated with the closure of their "south turn" after the interruption of the match against Nîmes when they gathered at the edge of the lawn. They have repeatedly deployed banners hostile to King Street and its representatives in emblematic places of the metropolis.
Our file on the Girondins
Finally, during the confinement, this group played audio tapes, the “Girondins Leaks” questioning certain compromising practices by club leaders. One admitted having made employees work during the crisis when they were in total partial unemployment; the other mentioned a future "tap number" when he had to go in early July to the DNCG, the financial gendarme of the League. Before this passage, the Girondins' announced deficit is between 40 and 50 million euros.
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