Bordeaux's Future Uncertain After Judicial Relegation

The Girondins de Bordeaux faced a grim future after being definitively excluded from national championships on Friday by the administrative court in Paris due to financial misconduct. Without a significant unforeseen intervention from the Fédération Française de Football (FFF), their outlook darkened dramatically, with the looming threat of judicial liquidation.

On the heels of this decision, Me Stéphane Bonichot, one of the lawyers for Sparta Capital, the British fund promising to solidly bail out the club if they maintained their position in National 1 (4th division), expressed disappointment, stating, "We are unfortunately facing a rejection. The FFF has acted against the Girondins!" In response, Sparta Capital and its associated investors indicated in a statement that they would "request the FFF Executive Committee to conduct an immediate review of the case." This review, unprecedented following a prolonged legal battle like that fought by the Girondins, can be requested by any of its members according to its statutes, in light of financial information provided by the buyers.

Recent reports from Sud-Ouest highlighted that political, media, and economic pressures were exerted behind the scenes in recent days on the FFF to save the Bordeaux club. Since the arrival of Spanish-Luxembourg businessman Gérard Lopez in 2021, the club, a six-time French champion, has faced demotion and turbulent appearances before the Direction Nationale du Contrôle de Gestion (DNCG), leading to its status as the pariah of French football.

On that Friday, the administrative court dismissed the arguments of "new financial viability" presented by Sparta Capital’s attorneys during Thursday's hearing. The British fund, which had acquired the club for a symbolic euro from Gérard Lopez at the end of July, had deposited €10.6 million with the Caisse des Dépôts, covering the shortfall in the club's accounts that led to its relegation by the DNCG. They promised an additional €10 million to stabilize the club and another €20 million to "settle debts." However, all these actions were deemed to have been completed after the deadline, confirmed the administrative court, upholding the position of the Comité National Olympique et Sportif Français (CNOSF), which was also approached by the club this summer.

The judge stated in the ruling that according to applicable texts, the DNCG can only consider documents or commitments that clubs put forth if these are duly rendered concrete by the date of the hearing before the appeals committee. It was also noted that "sports fairness requires all sports clubs to face the same financial and timing constraints, hence the conciliator and the FFF executive committee could refuse to consider any elements regarding a situation that was non-existent at the date of the appeals committee."

Now relegated to Regional 1 (6th division) at best, where the Ligue de Nouvelle-Aquitaine has registered them, the Girondins remain uncertain about their immediate future. On Wednesday, Me Bonichot indicated that maintaining the club in this division would lead to the end of the takeover project, thus triggering liquidation. In this dire scenario, the club would revert to an associative structure, under the current leadership of Jean-Louis Triaud, the Girondins’ president from 1996 to 2017. Triaud assured in Sud-Ouest that "We can operate as an association for a season. There is no urgent need to act" to reestablish a professional structure. Once a century-old six-time champion of France, the Girondins de Bordeaux have experienced a downward spiral in recent years amid ongoing sporting and financial difficulties, having been relegated to Ligue 2 in 2022, subsequently placed in judicial recovery in 2024, thus losing their professional status and renowned training center.