Football in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Aviron Bayonnais: "There's a place to be taken," says co-president Karim Fradin.

Promoted to National 2 next season, the sky and white manager, former boss of Chamois Niortais, aims to become the "first professional club in the northern Basque Country" and calls for filling the void in a region which now only has one club in Ligue 2

Aviron Bayonnais has achieved its promotion to the fourth tier ten years after its relegation , despite a difficult period for regional clubs. What is the prevailing feeling?

First of all, it's a collective success. Promotion was part of the project. So we're obviously very happy. What's more, it's been a great season at all levels: all three senior teams have either moved up or are likely to move up to the next division. The girls' (R2) are also champions and are moving up to R1. And the men's reserve team (R2) is on the verge of promotion.

With the reform of the championships and the increased adversity, how can we avoid falling like our neighbours, Les Genêts d'Anglet [nine points from the first non-relegation place with three matches remaining]?

With this reform, we had to take the train in the right direction. We will arrive with a lot of humility within the N2, because it is a very strong level. We will have to build a squad that is ready to face this level which is, for me, the most difficult in France. I am never surprised to see N2 teams in the semi-finals of the Coupe de France, because they are very structured clubs. You have the Girondins de Bordeaux, Cannes, which have a budget of 5 million. We are dealing with quasi-professionalism. With my co-president Lausséni Sangaré, we are working on quite a few aspects, like developing the Didier-Deschamps stadium, our training capacities or the infrastructure for our young players.

We'll also need to build on the game plan that Alain Pochat has been able to instill since his return last summer. He's the club's general manager, and he's driving a sporting project at every level. Money is important, but that's not all.

What was the budget this season, and can it increase?

We had a budget of €875,000, including €375,000 for the first team, for 30 employees, including the SAS and association. This budget will increase for the entire club, via partners, shareholders, patrons, and the City of Bayonne, which is supporting this project. We need to once again become the flagship club in the northern Basque Country that we were ten years ago.

Reaching N2 is good, but we saw it with Anglet: it's very hard to survive there. We're on a professional football model that isn't theirs. There's a real place for a first professional club in the Northern Basque Country, which has never been the case in the history of football. There are five in the Southern Basque Country. In Nouvelle-Aquitaine, with the relegation of the Girondins and the liquidation of Niort, only Pau is left professional. In 2026-2027, the Nationale will become Ligue 3, we'll be just one step away... But the first challenge is to survive in N2.

To survive in N2, is the Basque, or even Aquitaine, pool sufficient?

Our recruitment will be, as we did a bit this year, essentially territorial. Nouvelle-Aquitaine is still full of football players. It's the leading major sport in terms of licensed players in Nouvelle-Aquitaine and the Basque Country [where golf is number one, editor's note]. It's up to us to continue developing and finding the best players, with the help of Real Sociedad, our partner. We must be the leading club in the northern Basque Country at youth level, not just the first team. With our recruitment director, Chérif Djema, we are putting everything together for next season.

You were president of the Chamois Niortais until 2020. What then led to their compulsory liquidation?

Unfortunately, the city of Niort didn't support the club as it should have in terms of infrastructure. I was exhausted in 2020 because we were working on the third stadium project, the fourth training center project. I finally understood that we would never have a stadium. I decided to quit because I was fed up. Afterwards, I sold to the wrong people, obviously.

The Hanouna brothers did whatever they wanted. I've spoken out about it enough. I shouldn't have sold to them. They're people who don't understand football or the issues involved. They did whatever they wanted. If I could go back, I wouldn't sell them my shares. They still owe me money. They're not honest people. They did whatever they wanted with a historic club that's my favorite club.