Bordeaux Relegated to Sixth Tier Due to Financial Irregularities

Bordeaux, a six-time French champion, will compete in the sixth tier of French football this season following sanctions for financial irregularities, as confirmed by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine league on Thursday. The club was penalized for failing to provide approximately 10 million euros ($11.6 million) necessary for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 financial years and for not meeting debt payments. Bordeaux, once a leading football club in France and the origin of new head coach Zinedine Zidane, was sold last month for a symbolic one euro to the US-based investment group Park Bench, which has agreed to assume the remaining debt. After appearing before the Nouvelle-Aquitaine league oversight commission, the club received approval to participate in the top regional tier, contingent upon the approval of their recovery budget. "Rebuilding can now begin," stated Dominique Delport, the new president appointed by Park Bench, in comments to the AFP news agency. The new owners are scheduled to appear in commercial court on October 20 to ratify a continuation plan that spans 12 years, reducing the debt from 26 million to 13 million euros. The team will primarily consist of amateur players, although they can include five players on professional contracts, including former Ligue 1 striker Baptiste Guillaume. Bordeaux has a history of developing notable French football talent, including Bixente Lizarazu and Christophe Dugarry, who were part of the 1998 World Cup-winning team alongside Zidane. The club was relegated to Ligue 2 in 2022 and subsequently underwent judicial restructuring in 2024, leading to the loss of its professional status and its esteemed academy.