Behind closed gates in Le Bouscat, Bordeaux’s long wait for a new beginning will pause for 90 minutes on Sunday afternoon. The Girondins face National 1 side Angoulême in the fourth round of the Coupe de France while the proposed takeover by British fund Park Bench still awaits formal approval.
The tie kicks off at 3pm at Stade Sainte-Germaine, just outside Bordeaux. Angoulême arrive as second in their National 1 group, placing a sizeable obstacle in front of a club now preparing for regional football.
Quick facts
- Bordeaux play Angoulême at 3pm on Sunday in the Coupe de France fourth round.
- The match at Stade Sainte-Germaine in Le Bouscat will be played without spectators.
- Bordeaux cannot select players on federal contracts for the tie.
- The club are seeking to begin their R1 league campaign on 17 October, in the fifth round of fixtures.
- Park Bench have agreed to buy the club for a symbolic €1, subject to approval.
The match must be held without fans because of a sanction imposed last season over the use of flares. Bordeaux’s ultras are therefore expected to remain outside the ground as the team attempt to extend their cup run.
The Girondins reached this stage by beating Saintes 4-0 last weekend. Their opponents were playing in departmental D2, but Sunday brings a far tougher local test against a side competing several levels higher in National 1.
Bordeaux will be without their federally contracted players, whose registration category is approved by the French Football Federation and can include amateur and semi-professional footballers. The restrictions leave the club trying to produce a cup upset with a reduced pool.
A sporting delay sought
Off the pitch, the Commercial Court granted Bordeaux further time on Wednesday after confirmation of an agreement to sell the club to Park Bench for the symbolic sum of €1.
The proposed deal includes a renegotiation of Bordeaux’s debt, from €26 million to €13 million, and a continuation plan spread over 12 years rather than 10. The full documentation must still be validated by the court and by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine League’s regional club-control commission.
While that process continues, Bordeaux have asked the authorities for another postponement — this time concerning their football calendar. The club want their Regional 1 season to begin on 17 October, on the fifth matchday, instead of the weekend of 3 and 4 October.
Their campaign had originally been due to start on 29 August away to Saint-Médard-en-Jalles. For now, as the ownership case moves through its final checks, Bordeaux still have players, fixtures and a closed-door cup night against Angoulême to negotiate.
