ES Saintes had prepared for a Coupe de France night with Bordeaux in town, but the tie now faces the prospect of being stopped before a ball is kicked. Johan Bernardin, vice-president of the host club, has said the third-round match will not be played in Saintes this weekend because the amateur side cannot meet the expected policing costs.
The move
Saintes were due to welcome the Girondins de Bordeaux, with around 2,000 travelling supporters anticipated, including an estimated 200 ultras. Bernardin said the demands set by the Charente-Maritime prefecture would require the club to spend close to €40,000 on the deployment of security forces.
For an amateur club, that bill is beyond reach. Bernardin made clear that Saintes do not intend to withdraw from the competition, but also cannot take on the financial burden required to stage the fixture.
He has asked the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Football League and the French Football Federation to find a resolution. If no decision is reached, Saintes plan to seek an emergency suspension of the prefectural order preventing the match from taking place. That order was expected to be issued within hours.
Alternative venues fail to solve the problem
Several options were examined, including reversing the fixture so that it could be played in Bordeaux, or moving it to one of the pitches controlled by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine league. None proved workable because the same security constraints remained.
The regional league criticised the situation and called on state services to intervene. It also raised concern that similar cases could arise again, with amateur clubs placed in an impossible position when a high-profile visiting side brings significant crowd-management requirements.
The league argued that necessary safety measures must remain proportionate to the financial and human resources available in grassroots football. It stressed that the Coupe de France should retain its reputation as a competition open to every club, rather than allowing an administrative obstacle to decide a tie before kick-off.
The French season around it
The uncertainty comes while Bordeaux’s own future remains unclear. The Girondins were expected to continue their Coupe de France campaign on the road at Saintes, only for the hosting question to become the central issue of the weekend.
For Saintes, the episode is also about the volunteers and local structure that make a cup occasion possible. The club’s stance is not a forfeiture, but a demand for a solution that lets the match go ahead without placing an unsustainable €40,000 charge on an amateur side.
