For one closed-door afternoon in Saintes, Bordeaux were able to put the summer’s turmoil to one side and let the football speak. The six-time French champions began their season with a 4-0 Coupe de France victory over local Départemental 2 side Saintes, reaching the fourth round despite still not knowing which league they will enter this season.
Bordeaux return with a young amateur side
The third-round tie had been postponed by a week and marked Bordeaux’s first competitive outing of the campaign. It came after a summer in which the club were removed from the national divisions and faced an uncertain future, with Park Bench pursuing a takeover intended to prevent liquidation.
There remains no confirmed division for Bordeaux this term. That uncertainty has already reshaped the squad: the experienced National 2 players left because there was no clear sporting outlook, leaving a wholly amateur group with an average age of 21.
Four goals send the Girondins through
- Alexandre Kalyvas gave Bordeaux the lead in the 16th minute.
- El Hadji M’Boup doubled the advantage on 31 minutes.
- Noa Cebola struck three minutes after the restart, in the 48th minute.
- Hichem Abderrebi completed the 4-0 win in the 87th minute.
The result sends Bordeaux into the fourth round, offering a rare positive moment after months dominated by issues away from the pitch.
Angoulême await in the fourth round
The next assignment will present a much sharper test. Bordeaux will face Angoulême next week, a National 1 team who were in the same National 2 group as the Girondins last season.
For Bordeaux, the cup run continues. The wider question of where the club will compete in the league remains unresolved.
