Ex-Champions League giants bought for simply 86p and relegated to newbie sixth divsion
Girondins de Bordeaux were playing European football just eight years ago, but now find themselves in the sixth tier of French football where they kick off their season this weekend
The battled the likes of Liverpool in the Champions League just 16 years ago
Former Champions League regulars Girondins de Bordeaux have suffered one of the most dramatic falls from grace in European football history. The have found themselves relegated to the sixth tier of the French football pyramid after being sold for the nominal sum of just €1 (86p).
The fallen French giants have been purchased by US-based data analytics and software company Park Bench, bringing a definitive end to controversial owner Gérard Lopez’s turbulent five-year reign. While the initial buyout fee is a symbolic single euro, French media outlet Ici reports that the investment fund – which already holds shares in Scottish Championship side Dunfermline Athletic and Spanish second-division outfit Córdoba – will take on debts of nearly €18 million (£15m).
“This operation is concluded for a symbolic euro with the assumption of debts,” a statement from Bordeaux confirmed. The takeover still requires final approval from the Bordeaux Commercial Court to prevent total liquidation, as well as the green light from the Regional Management Control Commission of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Football League so the team can take their place in the amateur Regional 1 championship this season.
It’s a dramatic fall from grace for a team playing European football just eight years ago
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Despite reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2010, the club has had a dramatic downfall since 2021. Bordeaux have twice plunged into administration, suffering enforced relegations that saw them spend the past two years in the fourth tier, when former Newcastle and Liverpool striker Andy Carroll played for them, before fresh financial turmoil demoted them yet again this year to the sixth division. They kick off their season in the sixth tier this weekend.
During its illustrious heyday, the famous navy and white shirt was worn by some of the greatest icons in world football. French legends Zinedine Zidane, Jean Tigana, Alain Giresse, Bixente Lizarazu, and Christophe Dugarry all honed their craft at the club, alongside modern-day internationals such as Aurélien Tchouaméni and Jules Koundé. Now, instead of entertaining the continent’s elite on European nights where they previously battled the likes of Liverpool and Man Utd, Bordeaux face a gruelling rebuild in regional amateur football.
Despite their dire predicament, the club’s plight has sparked a wave of loyalty among former heroes and current squad members alike. Former French international left-back Benoît Trémoulinas, an academy graduate who won the 2009 league title and the 2013 Coupe de France with Bordeaux before going on to play for Dynamo Kyiv and Sevilla, has shocked fans by offering to come out of retirement at the age of 40 to help his boyhood side.
New boss Arnaud Cormier was welcomed by new club president Dominique Delport this week
Speaking live on the L’Équipe television channel this week, Trémoulinas revealed he has been undergoing an intensive five-week physical preparation programme to test his troublesome knee, which originally forced him to hang up his boots.
“You all know that my favourite club is the Girondins de Bordeaux,” Trémoulinas said. “Today, we all know where the club is. I want to help, to bring together, to unite, to bring my experience. In two or three weeks, it’s time to get back on the training grounds. And it is with great humility, without any pretension, that my goal is to play again with the Girondins de Bordeaux.”
The veteran defender is set to undertake a three-week trial with the squad to see if his body holds up to the rigours of training before management gives the final go-ahead. Meanwhile, another former defender, Paul Baysse, has also stepped up to be named the club’s new assistant coach.
On the pitch, the rebuilding process for the 2026/27 campaign is already taking shape. The club officially confirmed on Thursday that six players from the previous season – Soufiane Bahassa, Nadjib Cissé, Ruben Droehnlé, Léo Jousselin, Steve Shamal, and Driss Trichard – have committed to staying on to defend the club’s colours in the sixth division, giving supporters a vital glimmer of hope as Bordeaux begin the long road back from rock bottom.
