Former Champions League membership bought for simply 86p as English takeover imminent
Girondins de Bordeaux, now in the French sixth tier, are reportedly set to be bought by an English investment firm for just 86p
Bordeaux have struggled financially for years(Image: Liverpool Echo)
French club Girondins de Bordeaux are set to be purchased for just 86p by an English firm, having been forced to deal with financial struggles over recent years. Fenway Sports Group, the current owners of Liverpool Football Club, withdrew from a deal to complete a takeover of the former Champions League outfit two years ago.
Bordeaux currently play in the sixth tier of French football – Regional 1 – having previously competed in Ligue 1 as recently as five years ago against the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Lyon, Monaco and Marseille.
It was during the 2009/10 season that Bordeaux reached the quarter-final of the Champions League. However, recent years have seen failed takeover bids result in the future of the club being in the balance.
But now, according to Sud-Ouest via The Sun, they are being rescued from liquidation by English firm Park Bench. It is reported that current owner Gerard Lopez will sell for just €1 (86p) in an effort to offload the club.
Andy Carroll played for Bordeaux up until last year(Image: Loic Cousin/Icon Sport)
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The sale will necessitate renegotiating Bordeaux’s crippling debts, which will now need to be repaid over 12 years instead of 10. It is suggested that the debt value would also be slashed from €26million (£22m) to €13m (£11m).
The takeover was announced at the Tribunal de Commerce.
Over the years, Bordeaux have boasted several notable players, including Zinedine Zidane, Christophe Dugarry and Sylvain Wiltord.
Another is ex-England striker Andy Carroll, who signed with the club in 2024 and spent a season there until the conclusion of the 2024/25 campaign. At that point, he confessed that his wages didn’t even cover his rent.
He said: “I won’t tell you the exact figure but to give you an idea, since I moved here, I rent a pretty little house and my salary is less than my rent.
“If I joined Bordeaux, it clearly wasn’t for the money. I had offers from elsewhere to play in Saudi Arabia, but that didn’t interest me.”
It’s reported that he earned just €1,614 (£1372.55) gross per month in the wine-loving city, which drops to less than €1,400 (£1200) after tax, according to L’Equipe.
That sum is below the French minimum wage of €1,801.80 (£1532.25) gross for a 35-hour work week, which technically classified Carroll as a part-time employee.
