Girondins de Bordeaux have relinquished their professional status after being relegated to the third division of the French football pyramid.
Bordeaux Give Up Professional Status
They were initially banking on a takeover from Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) to save them from sinking to the doldrums following financial difficulties in recent years.
Unfortunately, FSG pulled out and as such, they have accepted relegation to the third division of French football and equally also renounced their professional status.
Consequently, due to Girondins de Bordeaux giving up their professional status, the contracts of players tied to the club will be terminated, while the team’s training center will also be closed.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux first obtained this professional footing in 1937, having been founded in 1920, and they are a notable club in France and European football.
The French club are six-time winners of the Ligue 1, four-time champions of the Coupe de France, and three-time victors of the Coupe de la Ligue and Trophée des Champions.
Continentally, Girondins de Bordeaux won the now-abolished UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1995 and they have produced several top players that have gone on to achieve greatness in football.
Stars That Have Played For Bordeaux
Zinedine Zidane, Mauricio Pochettino, Yoann Gourcuff, and Alain Giresse all delineated their brilliance at the club, with stars like Marouane Chamakh and Laurent Koscielny also accentuating quality with the French side.
Real Madrid’s Aurélien Tchouaméni alongside Barcelona’s Jules Kounde are present football stars who have ties with the now-defunct club.
Gernot Rohr, former manager of the Super Eagles of Nigeria and current boss of Benin Republic also in the past played and managed Bordeaux.
Meanwhile, The Girondins also put out a statement on their website confirming their demise from professional football, writing:
“Following the confirmation of the DNCG’s decision to relegate FC Girondins de Bordeaux to National 1, the Club filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday with the Bordeaux Commercial Court in order to begin the necessary restructuring.”
Why Are They Renouncing Their Professional Status?
Bordeaux are letting go of their professional status basically because of the club’s poor financial state alongside their inability to meet specific deadlines.
The club’s statement reads: “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, failing which it would have had to appear again before the DNCG with a budget that did not correspond to the future reality of the Club, which could have led to additional heavy sanctions.”
Can Bordeaux Reclaim Their Professional Status?
Bordeaux reiterated their desire to play in the National 1 next season and to come back with a healthier financial state and “renewed ambition.”
It will be fascinating and delightful for the fans, who have been left dampened by the news, if Girondins de Bordeaux find a way to reclaim their financial status and return back to the top echelons of French and European football.
Despite giving up their professional status, Bordeaux have revealed that they will continue to promote youth teams.
This is good news for the club and if they produce top footballers, they could make huge profits upon a potential sale which could improve their financial capacity.
