French football’s financial watchdog, the DNCG, have relegated Bordeaux to the third-tier for next season over Les Girondins’ financial situation as the crisis club hits further trouble.
Bordeaux were already set to compete next term in Ligue 2 having finished rock bottom of Ligue 1 on 31 points. David Guion could only oversee two wins to seven losses in 14 games in charge after replacing Vladimir Petkovic at the Matmut Atlantique helm this February.
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Results failing to improve under Guion left Bordeaux with Ligue 1’s worst records for wins (6), draws (13), goals conceded (91) and goal difference (minus-39). Now, the DNCG have compounded their catastrophic campaign in response to Les Girondins’ vulnerable nature.
DNCG relegate Bordeaux to French third-tier over club’s dire finances
The DNCG have relegated Bordeaux to National 1, the French third-tier, in response to the club’s €40m (£35m) debt, per RMC Sport, after a two hour hearing this Tuesday. Girondins owner and president Gerard Lopez has already voiced his intentions to appeal the verdict.
Bordeaux had shared how they planned to clear the deficit during the hearing at the Ligue de Professional’s headquarters. Sud Ouest note Lopez intended to inject €10m (£8.5m) via Jogo Bonito, a company he owns, while transferring around €26m (£22.5m) of the balance.
Les Girondins also hoped to raise circa €22m (£19m) from player sales before June 30. But Bordeaux’s strategy failed to convince the DNCG, who have dropped the six-time top-flight champions and 2010 Champions League quarter-finalists into the third-tier for next term.
Bordeaux see 30 year top-flight stay end as DNCG relegate club to third-tier
Next season will be the first campaign in which Bordeaux have not featured in the French top-flight since 1991/92. They also last won the Ligue 1 title in 2008/09, before reaching the last eight in the Champions League and regularly featuring in the Europa League afterward.
So, with the DNCG electing to relegate Bordeaux to the French third-tier for next season in response to their dire finances, HITC Sport look at a potential XI of former Girondins stars…
Jerome Prior (GK): Product of relegated Bordeaux’s academy now at FC Cartagena
Jerome Prior joined Bordeaux in his youth and graduated to play 42 first-team fixtures with Les Girondins in all competitions. The Frenchman also recorded 13 clean sheets across his appearances, before joining Valenciennes from 2019 to 2021 and moving to FC Cartagena.
Mariano (RB): Brazilian was member of 12/13 French cup winning Bordeaux side
Mariano was a star cog in the Bordeaux side which secured the club’s last of four Coup de France titles in the 2012/13 term. Les Girondins beat Evian 3-2 in the final at the Stade de France, with the Brazilian assisting double-goal hero Cheick Diabate to break the deadlock.
He had also laid on assists in the quarters and semi-final, while scoring in the first-round at LB Chateauroux. In total, Mariano – now at Club Atletico Mineiro – provided 13 assists and scored four goals from 143 appearances with Bordeaux, his most games played for a club.
Jules Kounde (CB): Chelsea target once starred at relegated Bordeaux before Sevilla
Jules Kounde shone for Bordeaux after emerging from Les Girondins’ academy for his first-team debut in 2018. The Frenchman would feature 70 times for the Matmut outfit before moving to Spain just one year later, with Sevilla paying a joint-club-record €25m (£21.5m).
The 11-cap international has since played 133 games for Los Nervionenses to earn Premier League interest. Graeme Bailey notes Kounde is 95% set to join Chelsea this summer but the centre-half, who Marca add Sevilla value at €65m (£56.5m), must now undergo surgery.
Pablo (CB): Brazilian defender now at Flamengo after Bordeaux spell
Pablo left his native Brazil to test himself in Europe with Bordeaux in 2015 and would make 113 appearances. The two-cap international has never featured for a club more often than with Les Girondins, between winning the Brazilian Serie A on loan at Corinthians in 2017.
Maxime Poundje (LB): Bordeaux product enjoyed lengthy first-team career
Maxime Poundje enjoyed a lengthy first-team career with Bordeaux after graduating from Les Girondins’ academy. The left-back joined the Matmut natives’ youth ranks in 2003 and rose to enjoy 159 senior appearances from 2012 to his departure as a free agent in 2021.
Hatem Ben Arfa (RM): Former Newcastle star enjoyed Bordeaux stay in 2020/21
Hatem Ben Arfa dazzled the Premier League with his natural ability on the ball while plying his trade at Newcastle United. The Lyon product later returned to France with OGC Nice in 2015 before spells at PSG, Stade Rennais and in Spain at Real Valladolid before Bordeaux.
The playmaker spent the 2020/21 campaign at the Matmut Atlantique for 25 appearances, two goals and five assists. He later joined LOSC Lille this January, but will leave on June 30.
Aurelien Tchouameni (CM): New Real Madrid signing raised at Bordeaux
Real Madrid have signed Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco for €100m (£86.5m) on a six-year contract this month. Fabrizio Romano claimed Jurgen Klopp had spoken to the France midfielder to discuss a potential move to Liverpool before he agreed to join the Galacticos.
Los Blancos spent big on the 22-year-old as he has excelled in the Principality since leaving Bordeaux in 2020. Tchouameni began his career at Les Girondins after joining in his youth, but only progressed to play 37 senior matches before his 95 outings for Les Monegasques.
Abdou Traore (CM): Bordeaux product helped Girondins win last Ligue 1 title
Abdou Traore joined Bordeaux for his move to Europe from Mali and CO Bamako in 2006. The midfielder would rise from Les Girondins’ academy to help the Matmut natives lift the Ligue 1 title in 2008/09 along with the League Cup during a 127 game career with the club.
Malcom (LM): Barcelona paid Bordeaux £36.5m for Brazilian winger
Barcelona paid Bordeaux £36.5m to buy Malcom in 2018, despite the crisis club agreeing to sell the Brazilian to Roma first. He had spent two years with Les Girondins from 2016 to his move to the Camp Nou. But the 25-year-old only spent a term in Catalunya with 24 games.
Martin Braithwaite (ST): Barcelona forward spent five months with Bordeaux
Martin Braithwaite spent five months on loan with Bordeaux from Middlesbrough over the latter half of the 2017/18 season. He offered four goals and three assists over his 14 games before joining Leganes in 2019, from whom Barcelona paid £15m to sign in February 2020.
Anthony Modeste (ST): Koln hero once led the Bordeaux attack
Anthony Modeste is a hero at Bundesliga outfit Koln with 79 goals across 156 appearances so far. He hit 20 goals in the German top-flight this term, behind only Robert Lewandowski, Patrik Schick and Erling Haaland, too. But he also led the Bordeaux attack from 2010 to ‘13.
Bordeaux signed Modeste from Nice and later cashed in to Hoffenheim following 15 goals in 57 games. The 34-year-old also spent time on loan with Blackburn Rovers and Bastia in 2012 and ‘12/13 before moving to Germany, while later joining Tianjin Tianhai from Koln.
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