[Football] The Girondins de Bordeaux, demoted, abandon their appeal

The Girondins de Bordeaux, chaired by Eschois Gérard Lopez, six-time French champions, announced on Tuesday that they were abandoning their appeal against their administrative relegation to the 3rd division (National), due to a lack of agreement with the American group Fenway Sports Group for a takeover of the club.

“While discussions had resumed in recent days, representatives of FSG indicated yesterday, Monday July 22, to FC Girondins de Bordeaux and its shareholder their desire not to pursue them despite the assurances provided by various stakeholders,” the Girondins indicated in a press release.

In the absence of “new elements”, the club “withdrew the appeal” made on July 9, due to the difficulties of the club which was seeking 40 million euros to clean up its accounts and close its 2024-2025 budget in L2, they added.

“Consequently, FC Girondins de Bordeaux accepts the sanction of administrative demotion within the National 1 Championship (3rd division) for the 2024/2025 season and will be summoned again to present its budget before the DNCG (National Directorate of Management Control),” the Girondins further declared.

The club where Alain Giresse, Jean Tigana, Zinédine Zidane and Bixente Lizarazu shone, had never fallen so low since acquiring professional status in 1937, even if it has been walking a tightrope for years, due to chronic financial difficulties.

Already administratively demoted in 2021 (from L1 to L2) and in 2022 (from L2 to National), he was drafted in extremis.

This was still the scenario hoped for on July 9. But Fenway Sports Group, owner of Liverpool in particular, threw in the towel for the first time at the beginning of last week, then a second time on Monday, despite a commitment from the Bordeaux Metropolis to submit a reduction in the stadium’s rent to a vote.

But the prospect of having to wait for this vote in September has apparently cooled the “cautious lawyers” of the American group, owner of Liverpool, according to a source close to the Girondins.

Having ceased payment, the club will now turn to the commercial court, a source close to the Girondins indicated, with the hope that the court will favour judicial recovery over pure and simple liquidation.