The Château du Haillan

The Château du Haillan is located in the heart of the superb Plaine du Haillan. It is the administrative headquarters of FC Girondins de Bordeaux. The Centre International du FC Girondins de Bordeaux boasts nine football pitches, including 2 artificial pitches, 1 jogging trail of 3km through the woods, a professional centre, a training centre, the football academy, the studios of Girondins TV and of course the Château du Haillan itself. The site covers a total of 11 hectares.

A brief history

During the Hundred Years' War, the estate then known as Lanneblanque was the site of a major battle between the French and the English.

Lanneblanque changed hands several times in the ensuing centuries, until its acquisition in 1845 by Mr. Francisco Antonio de Los Heros, who changed the name of his new estate to Château de Bel Air.

On August 23rd 1944, the woods were destroyed by an explosion of the German munitions stored at the estate. As the occupying Germans left, the Château was pillaged.

In 1963, faced with a lack of agricultural manpower, the estate became untenable and a large part of the grounds were purchased by the Bordeaux city council and used to house various municipal facilities: sports grounds, a horticultural school, the greenhouses of Bordeaux's parks and gardens... The city thus became the latest, and current, owner of Château de Bel Air.

In 1986, during the Bez era, the idea of establishing a football centre of international standard was taken up by the City Council. FC Girondins de Bordeaux assumed leadership of the project, thus moving from their previous base at Rocquevielle in Mérignac.

The Château's facilities allow us to present a welcoming environment to partners, aminstrative staff and guests. The professional centre, numerous pitches and a separate training centre are some of the estate's key assets, making this an exceptional base for a football club.

The professional centre

A tool for development

The sporting facilities at Château du Haillan are among the best in France. In this magnificent setting, surrounded by nine pitches, our facilities represent a cutting-edge tool designed specifically for the training of top-class professionals.

At the heart of a centre devoted entirely to football

The Pro Centre is located on the Plaine du Haillan, between the pitches set aside exclusively for the first team. The centre has access to the astroturf pitch on one side, and a full grass pitch on the other. This light, open-plan building encourages the Pros to feel at one with their environment. The organisation of the complex allows fans present for training sessions to watch from the sidelines of the pitches, and provides the press with crucial access. The presence on-site of the club's administrative and commercial teams, other teams attached to the Club and the Academy Training Centre all encourage the development of the 'Club Spirit' so important to the Girondins.

A centre designed with its users' well-being in mind

The centre was designed to meet demanding functional requirements drawn up in a process of consultation with its users. The changing room, constructed in a horseshoe shape, is in the centre of the building and designed to encourage discussion and friendly interaction among players. The layout has been carefully designed to facilitate the work of the club staff and allow the site to function efficiently. The centre is divided into several sections: the physio and gym section, the coaches' facilities and the video suite.

Physio support and gym

The physiotherapy and gym facilities are split into 3 sections. The first is a large weights room, with direct access to the football pitches and 30 cutting edge weight machines. The second room is set aside entirely for stretching and warm up, with the third reserved for physiotherapy. The rooms are interlinking, with large windows and a television system which can relay football videos. Everything has been conceived with the players' well-being in mind, in order to optimise their preparations and physical condition.

Video

Essential to match preparation, the Club has the latest in video technology. The video department includes:

• a fully-equipped projection room,
• a full digital video control room.

Video analysis has become an essential component of match preparation: reviewing key moments from previous games and researching forthcoming opponents, presentation of tactics and formations etc.

The Professional Centre in figures

• Surface area: 850 m² of usable space.
• Special pitches: 1 artificial pitch and 1 grass pitch, direct access.
• Changing facilities: 1 changing room / 30 lockers.
• Spa: showers, affusion showers, 1 jacuzzi with massaging jets, 1 cold water pool, 1 sauna,1 steam room.
• Physio centre and gym: 1 warm-up room, 1 physiotherapy room with 5 tables and a biodex,1 weights room.
• Video facilities: 1 30-seater screening room, 1 control room with digital storage.