Matmut renounces the naming of the large Bordeaux stadium, orphaned by a professional club

The contract will not be renewed due in particular to "the lack of consistent recurring visibility" which "has not allowed a satisfactory new agreement project to be built", Matmut told AFP, confirming information from the newspaper Sud Ouest.

The end of this naming contract, which brought in around two million euros per year, adds a new financial difficulty to the managers of this venue owned by the Bordeaux metropolitan area.

In September, the rent paid by the Girondins de Bordeaux, placed in receivership and relegated to National 2 (4th division), had already fallen from 4,7 million euros per year to a few tens of thousands of euros in technical costs per match.

"The end of the naming is a loss of earnings, but it is not a surprise," reacted the president of the metropolis, Christine Bost, contacted by telephone by AFP. "We can regret that Matmut is withdrawing today. The situation is not as good as we could hope."

This 42.000-seat stadium was built in 2016 at a cost of 310 million, as part of a public-private partnership. The Bordeaux metropolitan area must ensure its reimbursement until 2045.

SBA, the stadium's operating company, a subsidiary of the construction groups Vinci and Fayat, estimated in the summer of 2023 that it would lose between "two and three million euros" each year.

"If we look at the SBA activity report for 2023, there are no signs of closure, and there won't be any for 2024," added Ms. Bost, but "if we leave the tool fallow, if we don't look for activities, it will no longer be sustainable."

Over the past two years, the venue has hosted several major events (2023 Rugby World Cup, 2024 Olympic Games, Top 14 semi-finals, etc.) and concerts (Muse, Mylène Farmer, etc.).

"We are going through a difficult period, we have very high quality equipment which represents significant potential," continued Ms Bost, who "wants to believe in the sporting renaissance of the club", having climbed to 4th place in its N2 group and qualified for the 32nd finals of the Coupe de France. "That is why the metropolis agreed to spread the rent."

For the future, "we can imagine a buyer who can take over the club and the stadium... but many hypotheses are possible," she believes. "It would not be the most favorable outcome for SBA to cease payments. We are not going to leave this facility unexploited and unused."

Contacted by AFP, SBA did not wish to comment on Matmut's announcement.