About

Aviron Bayonnais Football Club (French pronunciation: ​; commonly referred to as simply Bayonne) is a French association football club based in Bayonne. The club is a part of a sports club that was formed in 1904 that is also known for its rugby union club. The football club was founded in 1935 and currently play in the Championnat National 3, the fifth level of French football. Bayonne plays its home matches at the Stade Didier Deschamps located in the city. It is named after Bayonne native, former youth player and the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000 winning captain Didier Deschamps, who also played for Marseille and Juventus. Central defender Aymeric Laporte is another player who featured for Bayonne as a youth before starring for Athletic Club de Bilbao and later Manchester City. Athletic have had a collaboration agreement with Bayonne for several years that they recently renewed through the 2021 season. While Aviron is the largest club in the French Basque Country, it has not replicated the successes of the clubs on the Spanish side of the border.