Former French football powerhouse Bordeaux will compete in Regional 1, the sixth tier of the country’s football pyramid, after receiving approval from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine league amid efforts to recover from a financial crisis.
The six-time French champions secured unanimous approval on Thursday after the league’s oversight commission reviewed their recovery budget and gave a positive opinion on their participation in the regional competition.
Bordeaux faced sanctions during the summer after failing to provide evidence of the roughly 10 million euros needed to meet financial requirements for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 financial years and settle debt obligations.
The club, which once played a leading role in French football, was acquired last month by US-based investment group Park Bench for a symbolic one euro. The new owners agreed to take responsibility for the outstanding debt as part of their rescue plan.
New president Dominique Delport welcomed the league’s decision, saying it marked the beginning of the club’s rebuilding process.
The next major step is a commercial court hearing scheduled for October 20, where the owners are expected to ratify a revised continuation plan spanning 12 years. The proposal is expected to cut the club’s debt from 26 million euros to 13 million euros.
Bordeaux will field a largely amateur squad but can retain up to five players on professional contracts. Among them is former Ligue 1 striker Baptiste Guillaume.
The club’s current predicament follows years of decline. After being relegated to Ligue 2 in 2022, Bordeaux entered judicial restructuring in 2024, losing its professional status and highly rated academy.
The club has a rich history of developing and attracting top talent. Academy graduates Bixente Lizarazu and Christophe Dugarry were part of France’s 1998 World Cup-winning team alongside Zinedine Zidane. Earlier generations also featured Alain Giresse and Jean Tigana, who helped France win the 1984 European Championship.
Bordeaux’s move into regional football represents a major fall for the historic club, but the approval of its recovery plan provides a pathway towards financial stability and a potential return to higher levels of competition.
