The troubled historic club Les Girondins de Bordeaux will play in Régional 1, the sixth tier of French football, for the upcoming season after receiving unanimous approval from the steering committee of the Ligue de football Nouvelle-Aquitaine, according to regional league president François Grenet. The decision provides a definitive landing spot for the six-time French champions following an administrative relegation that barred them from national divisions.
Regional Commission Ratifies Entry into Regional 1
The path to the sixth tier cleared following a formal audit by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine regional control commission, which validated the club’s takeover budget and issued a positive evaluation. Subsequently, the 21 voting members of the Ligue de football Nouvelle-Aquitaine steering committee delivered a unanimous favorable vote to ratify the team’s entry into Régional 1, the highest regional level. Meanwhile, the club’s reserve squad is slated to compete one tier lower in Régional 2, representing the seventh division of French football.
Park Bench Acquires Club to Reduce Debts
British investment fund Park Bench acquired the club from Gerard Lopez for a symbolic euro alongside the assumption of existing liabilities. Dominique Delport, appointed as the new club president by the ownership group, stated that rebuilding efforts are now officially underway. The new leadership team faces a crucial hearing on October 20 before the commercial court to homologate a 12-year continuation plan designed to reduce club debts by half, bringing the total from 26 million euros down to 13 million euros.
Arnaud Cormier Leads Squad of Local Talent
Former Le Mans manager Arnaud Cormier leads the first-team coaching staff, overseeing a roster built primarily around local young talent. That core is reinforced by six players who featured for the club during the previous campaign in the former third tier (National 1) and subsequently terminated their professional contracts to sign amateur licenses. Under Régional 1 roster regulations, Bordeaux is permitted five players on federal contracts, the first of which has been allocated to 31-year-old Belgian forward Baptiste Guillaume, whose career includes 77 appearances in Ligue 1 and 188 appearances in Ligue 2.
Bordeaux Prepares for League Opener Against Bayonne
Bordeaux already contested two Coupe de France fixtures in September behind closed doors, recording a 4-0 victory against Saintes and a 5-1 win against Angoulême. In league play, their championship campaign opens on Friday, October 16, with an away fixture against the reserve team of Bayonne for the fifth matchday, as the opening four rounds of fixtures were postponed. Concurrently, club executives are holding discussions with the Métropole de Bordeaux—the owner of the Stade Atlantique—regarding hosting home matches at the main stadium under a restricted capacity.
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