In July 2024, the storied French football club Bordeaux hit rock bottom, leaving fans and the football world in shock. Once a six-time Ligue 1 champion, the club announced on July 25 that it had filed for bankruptcy to undergo a complete restructuring. This decision forced Bordeaux to forfeit its professional status, relegating the club to the fourth tier of French football, the Championnat National 2, for the 2024/25 season.
Bordeaux’s downfall was years in the making, exacerbated by financial mismanagement and ownership changes. The club had already faced relegation twice due to financial irregularities and initially planned to appeal the decisions but ultimately withdrew the motion. The once-proud club, which celebrated its centenary in 2020, was left to rebuild from the lower leagues.
Bordeaux had been plagued by financial struggles for years, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic and the premature end of the 2019/20 Ligue 1 season, which led to significant revenue losses. The situation further deteriorated when Mediapro, a Spanish multimedia company, pulled out of a €780 million broadcasting rights deal with French football just months after signing it, leaving clubs like Bordeaux in a precarious position.
In April 2021, Bordeaux entered bankruptcy proceedings when their American owner, King Street, withdrew financial support after investing €53 million since acquiring the club in December 2019. The club was sold to Gerard Lopez, a Luxembourg-Spanish businessman, who aimed to restore Bordeaux to its former glory. However, the club’s fortunes continued to decline under Lopez’s ownership. Bordeaux finished last in the 2021/22 Ligue 1 season, leading to their first relegation in 31 years. Financial oversight body DNCG subsequently demoted them to the Championnat National, a decision they initially overturned but could not escape further relegation in 2023.
Despite attempts to challenge the latest relegation, Bordeaux accepted their fate and, on July 25, informed the French Football Federation (FFF) that they would relinquish their professional club status. The club now hopes that competing in the lower leagues will be the first step towards financial stability and a return to the top of French football.
Bordeaux played their first match in their new reality on August 31, 2024, drawing 1-1 against Stade Poitevin, with goalkeeper Lassana Diabate scoring a last-minute equalizer. The club’s future remains uncertain, and much of the blame for its decline is placed on owner Gerard Lopez, whose financial mismanagement and lack of on-field success led to Bordeaux’s downfall. Former Bordeaux star Bixente Lizarazu echoed the sentiments of many fans, calling for Lopez to step down for the club’s good.
