One of France's iconic clubs has folded, filing for insolvency and terminating all player contracts. One of Zidane's former club sides too. Eleven years ago yesterday, we played a pre-season friendly against them at Oakwell, which was something of a coup for the club at the time. We lost the game 1-3. My Facebook post from the game tells me we were 1-0 down at half-time prior to them making 11 half-time substitutions, which has become something of the norm in friendlies these days. Sad to see a big club go to the wall like this. Given it's relatively speedy demise, you half expect to find Paul Conway's name linked to it somewhere.
They won the French title as recently as 2009. At the time, I was at uni with a lad who was from Bordeaux, and he likened it at the time to Blackburn winning the Premier League.
Sad indeed and there could be a few more big clubs doing the same in the coming years the way money is ruining the game.
Saw this on twitter yesterday but wasnt sure it was accurate looks like it is which is a real shame. Hopefully they can form a phoenix club and start again but I dont know if that works in France
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...ulled-deal-buy-financially-stricken-club.html They have given up professional status because the Liverpool owners didn't buy them. They haven't folded they have dropped to the semi professional third tier.
A translation of their press release: "CLUB PRESS RELEASE Following the confirmation of the DNCG's decision to relegate FC Girondins de Bordeaux to National 1, the Club filed for bankruptcy with the Bordeaux Commercial Court on Tuesday, in order to begin the necessary restructuring. Consequently, the Commercial Court will very soon pronounce the opening of collective proceedings which will automatically result in the loss of the Club's professional status. Therefore, given the very short deadlines before the start of the National 1 season, the Club had to give up requesting the maintenance of its professional status, otherwise it would have had to appear again before the DNCG with a budget that did not correspond not to the future reality of the Club, which could have led to heavy additional sanctions. It is a difficult decision which anticipates an inevitable consequence of the ongoing restructuring process. Although the training center will close as a result, the Club will continue to promote youth teams. The effort of transparency vis-à-vis the French football authorities of what the real situation of the Club will be in the days and weeks to come must in particular make it possible to limit the sporting consequences of this situation, the Club having the objective of evolve in National 1 next season, to allow, as quickly as possible, the return of the Club, with cleaned-up finances and renewed ambition, at the highest level." The bankruptcy application is the trigger for them losing their professional status, so it's not a voluntary decision for them to do so. They're essentially an amateur club for youth football for now, with plans to re-build and ultimately return as a professional club. Hopefully they return to something like their former status, but the timescale for such is very unclear, for now.
So effectively because they’ve gone bankrupt, the league places them as a semi-pro team now? Crazy times - they’re a decent sized club and their stadium was renewed in 2015 for the Euros. It’s also a football centre for Paris 24 Olympics. I’m shocked tbf. Hope they get funding sorted and go professional again.
Probably the 4th or 5th biggest club in France - it's mental. Such a shame. It's crazy football these days, historic clubs like Bordeaux crumbling.
