At Bordeaux, the route back begins far below the old floodlights. A takeover agreement involving English investment fund Park Bench could pull the six-time French champions away from judicial liquidation and set them on a regional path next season.
The move
Park Bench is close to buying the Girondins from Gérard Lopez after representatives for both sides told Bordeaux’s commercial court on Wednesday that they had reached an agreement.
Lopez, the Hispano-Luxembourgish businessman, is expected to transfer his shares for the symbolic sum of €1. He would also waive both his claims against the club and a clause entitling him to benefit should Bordeaux’s financial position improve in future.
The proposed sale is designed to keep Bordeaux alive after their exclusion from the national competitions at the beginning of September. The club could begin its sporting restart in Regional 1, subject to approval for a place in Group B.
A reduced debt burden
The planned rescue would reshape the club’s continuation plan. Its duration would extend from 10 years to 12, while total liabilities would fall from €26 million to roughly €13 million.
Debts involving the French state and AGS, the salary-guarantee body, are also expected to be rescheduled or reduced. Bordeaux’s remaining obligation to Fortress, the fund that financed the 2018 takeover, would drop from €2.5 million to €1.6 million.
A major employment dispute has also been settled. Former head coach Vladimir Petkovic and his assistant Antonio Manicone, dismissed in February 2022, had initially sought €15,139,880 before the employment tribunal. They appealed their case and were considered to have had a strong chance of succeeding.
The agreement would instead pay €1.9 million to Petkovic and €250,000 to Manicone.
The French season around it
Before Bordeaux can be confirmed in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional 1 championship, the full takeover documents must be submitted and accepted by the commercial court and the regional club-control commission.
One substantial issue remains: the club must still reach terms with Bordeaux Métropole over the annual rent for Stade Atlantique, set at €500,000.
For a club once accustomed to the top flight and major European nights, the immediate objective is much simpler: secure the paperwork, reduce the debts and make sure the Girondins have a team on the pitch again.
