The DNCG, French football’s financial watchdog, on Tuesday 14th June, 2022 took the decision to relegate Bordeaux to the third tier over Les Girondins’ financial situation.
The team had already gone down to Ligue 2 at the end of the current top flight season, having finished rock bottom of the league after a catastrophic season in a sporting season that saw them concede no less than 91 goals.
Bordeaux will have a week to appeal the decision, with another two weeks afterwards to present their situation at another hearing with the DNCG.
RMC Sport have indicated that the club’s deficit is €40m. Club president Gérard Lopez is expected to appeal the decision imminently.
Bordeaux had also been relegated to Ligue 2 last season, before remaining in the top flight after an appeal and Gérard Lopez’s takeover. Sud Ouest indicate that Lopez’s plan in the last few weeks had been to bring in €10m from his Jogo Bonito company while also transferring responsibility for half of the debt, or €26m, to the firm as well. This also included selling €22m worth of players before June 30. Nevertheless, the DNCG have not been won over by the financial project presented to them this afternoon.
Among the other clubs to be at today’s hearing, Ligue 1’s Lille have passed the inspection with no issues, while Ligue 2 sides Amiens and Caen have also been approved with no issues. Saint-Étienne – in the midst of a potential change in ownership – have also seen their finances approved.
GFFN
