Official: Girondins de Bordeaux relegated to sixth tier

Official confirmation from the French Football Federation (FFF) on Wednesday saw Girondins de Bordeaux excluded from the National Championships, meaning the former Ligue 1 side will at best compete in R1, the sixth tier of French football, for the upcoming season.

The club has been in financial difficulties for several years, marking a dramatic decline for Les Girondins. The situation has eroded the stability that once underpinned the Bordeaux side.

Only as recently as 2019, Girondins de Bordeaux competed in the UEFA Europa League. That European campaign highlighted how far the club has fallen since its top‑flight days.

Bordeaux suffered relegation to Ligue 2 in 2022 and have not managed to return to the top flight. The loss of top‑division status began a chain of setbacks for the historic French club.

Two seasons later, the club endured an administrative relegation to the fourth tier of French football. The demotion placed Bordeaux in the Championnat National 2 for the 2023‑24 campaign.

During their two seasons in the Championnat National 2, the team failed to secure promotion while continuing to bear the costs of financial mismanagement under current ownership. The lack of on‑field success compounded the off‑field fiscal strain.

Earlier in the summer, the DNCG – French football’s financial watchdog – decided to exclude Bordeaux from the National Championships. That decision set the stage for the subsequent appeal process.

The Appeals Commission has now ratified the exclusion after Sparta Capital could not raise the €10 million required for the next season. Without that funding, the club cannot meet the financial criteria for the National level.

Efforts to locate a buyer for the former giants of French football have also failed, and a meeting with the commercial court is imminent. The court could issue a compulsory liquidation order between now and the end of the month.

The report was compiled by GFFN journalist Luke Entwistle. His coverage underscores the severity of Bordeaux’s predicament.