The fourth level, the National 2, is a strange place for Les Girondins, one of the oldest and most renowned clubs in France.
With the likes of Alain Giresse and Jean Tigana leading the way in the 1980s and Zinedine Zidane in the 1990s, Bordeaux is now more in debt than ever before and on the verge of going extinct.
Massive losses brought on by the club’s spending far above its means under the previous ten owners have resulted in catastrophic.
Les Girondins was first demoted to Ligue 2 two years ago, and the DNCG, the financial watchdog of French football, came very close to demoting them farther down the pyramid that year.
The team was given the last blow this summer after two failed attempts at promotion. Bordeaux eventually filed for administration, turned in their professional club license, and prepared for life in the fourth division following multiple appeals.
The club’s youth academy, which recently graduated France internationals Aurelien Tchouameni and Jules Kounde, was significantly shut down as a result of the move.
In August, there was some fleeting optimism due to a possible takeover by Fenway Sports Group, the owners of Liverpool. Negotiations broke down over the price of using the Matmut Atlantique stadium, which was constructed for it.
