Former Ligue 1 giants Bordeaux file for bankruptcy after getting relegated to third tier

Bordeaux relinquished its professional football club status, marking the end of three years of administrative and financial struggles.

Former Ligue 1 giants Bordeaux file for bankruptcy after getting relegated to third tier

Former Ligue 1 giants FC Bordeaux filed for bankruptcy, as they ceased to be a professional club. (via IMAGO)

Six-time Ligue 1 champions FC Girondins de Bordeaux have officially filed for bankruptcy and decided to give up their professional club status, while current player contracts have been terminated. This follows the club’s recent relegation to the French third tier.

The French giants have been in a financial crisis since the end of the 2020-21 COVID-19 pandemic. At the conclusion of the 2021-22 Ligue 1 season, Bordeaux finished last and were relegated to Ligue 2. The situation deteriorated further by the end of the 2023-24 season, with the club being administratively relegated to the Championnat National, the third tier of French football, due to financial reasons.

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Bordeaux was relying on a takeover from Liverpool owners FSG group in order to revive themselves financially, but the company pulled away. This led to significant financial penalties, forcing the club to give up its professional status for the first time since 1937. Despite this setback, the once-glorious French side, which last won Ligue 1 in 2009, expressed hopes of revival with renewed ambition in a recent statement.

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Additionally, Bordeaux players, staff, and coach Albert Riera will have their contracts dissolved, becoming free agents. Moreover, the club’s training center will close indefinitely, releasing youth players without any compensation.

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Ligue 1 giants Bordeaux’s journey since its inception

FC Girondins de Bordeaux was the sixth most successful Ligue 1 club, until its relegtaion to the French second tier in 2022. The club boasted a massive cabinet with six Ligue 1 titles, four French Cups, three League Cups, three Super Cups, and an Intertoto Cup.

Bordeaux relegated
FC Bordeaux gave away its professional club status, following Ligue 2 relegation. (via IMAGO)

Founded in 1920, Bordeaux made it into the French first division in 1949, winning it just in its very first season. The club enjoyed a golden era in the 1980s, securing three Ligue 1 titles under chairman Claude Bez. Their pinnacle came in 1996 when they reached the UEFA Cup final, though they were defeated by Bayern Munich.

Players such as Zinedine Zidane, Bixente Lizarazu, and Christophe Dugarry are some of the club greats. Their last Ligue 1 title came in the 2008-09 season under Laurent Blanc, before their subsequent decline.

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