Is the Wednesday deal between Gérard Lopez’s company and the Anglo‑American fund Park Bench the turning point for FC Girondins de Bordeaux? The club calls it a major step forward, yet countless doubts linger as the six‑time champions tumble to regional football. RMC Sport breaks it down.
Gérard Lopez has handed the six‑time French champion to a new owner after Wednesday’s agreement. The sale was for a symbolic euro, with the buyer assuming the debts, the club announced.
To slash the massive overall liability, the deal cuts the debt in half—from €26 million to €13 million—and stretches repayments over 12 years instead of ten, with progressive installments matching an amateur club’s cash flow.
Partial debt forgiveness makes it possible, especially from the State, which slashed VAT, social security and AGS liabilities by 50%. Local media Sud Ouest and Ici Gironde report the Fortress fund’s claim fell from €2.5 million to €1.6 million, and a friendly settlement reduced former coach Vladimir Petković’s severance to €1.9 million plus €250 000 for his assistant, far below the €15 million originally demanded. RMC Sport seeks answers.
Are the Girondins truly saved?
Immediate judicial liquidation has been averted, though not fully resolved. The sale freezes the court’s stance, granting the club a crucial regulatory pause, yet two mandatory steps must still be cleared in the coming days for an official rescue.
First, the Bordeaux Commercial Court must ratify the legal amendment to the continuity plan proposed by the new investors. Without this endorsement, the risk of a plan termination—and consequent liquidation—remains.
Second, the Nouvelle‑Aquitaine Football League must give the green light. The buyer faces a rigorous financial oral before the regional control commission, proving immediate bank guarantees to fund the revised 2026‑27 budget and settle staff wages.
Who are the new owners?
The official buyer is the Anglo‑American fund Park Bench. Unlike the previous candidate Sparta Capital, which withdrew in late August after a National 1 stay‑down refusal, Park Bench committed to fund the full regional rebuild, injecting €18 million, according to Ici Gironde, with hopes of a national‑level return as early as next spring.
Backed by British investors Jeremy Green and James Bord—formerly a professional poker player—and American Evan Sofer, Park Bench already holds stakes in football. Since January 2025 it has been the majority shareholder of Scotland’s Dunfermline, a second‑division side, and also owns shares in Spain’s Córdoba CF, another second‑tier club.
In Bordeaux, Park Bench is represented by media veteran Dominique Delport, ex‑Vivendi and Havas executive, who took part in early summer talks and is set to assume the club’s presidency.
What becomes of Gérard Lopez?
That marks the final chapter for the Hispano‑Luxembourg businessman in Bordeaux. The agreement seals Gérard Lopez’s definitive, compensation‑free exit after arriving in 2021, a departure greeted with relief by the local community and FCBG supporters. For my money, Lopez’s exit is the fresh start Bordeaux desperately needed.
By surrendering all his shares for a symbolic euro, the former owner relinquishes exclusive control, forgoes his shareholder loans and abandons the so‑called ‘return‑to‑better‑fortune’ clause. This point sparked the last round of talks, with Park Bench refusing any future payout if Bordeaux climbs back to Ligue 2 or Ligue 1 or generates strong profits.
Facing a looming judicial liquidation that could have imposed severe personal legal and financial liabilities, Lopez capitulated, leaving behind a historic club that fell from Ligue 1 to amateur status in just five years.
Which division will Bordeaux play in this season?
Pending the Nouvelle‑Aquitaine League’s approval, FC Girondins de Bordeaux will compete in Régionale 1 (sixth tier) for the 2026‑27 season. The first team is already registered, though its first four matches have been postponed.
After a Coupe de France exit in the fourth round last weekend, the Girondins are slated to join Group B and kick off their league campaign on Sunday 17 October at the Aviron Bayonnais reserve ground.
Which team will they face?
While the reserve side carried the club’s emblem in the cup, the core of the senior squad will be built around youngsters who faced Saintes and Angoulême, likely coached by Arnaud Cormier, Rio Mavuba’s former assistant in National 2 and ex‑Mans manager during Bordeaux’s sixth title era.
What about players who remained from last season despite a summer exodus? Régionale 1 rules cap clubs at five federation contracts, yet Bordeaux currently lists thirteen. Defenders Ruben Droehnlé, Léo Jousselin and striker Soufiane Bahassa may feature, but the future of veterans like Driss Trichard and Steve Shamal remains uncertain.
Amid transfer restrictions, the club is reportedly eyeing a comeback of former star Benoît Trémoulinas, now 40. The 2009 French champion is on a fitness regime and hinted at Bordeaux’s plight on Instagram this morning, displaying the club’s badge.
The home venue will be the Stade Atlantique. Can Bordeaux return to the national leagues within two seasons?
The 42,000‑seat Stade Atlantique, built for Euro 2016, will likely remain the home venue even though operating costs and rent are hard to bear for a sixth‑tier outfit.
The case has already sparked numerous summer meetings during the aborted first takeover attempt and has been central to talks with Bordeaux Métropole, the stadium owner, which has already made significant financial concessions despite outstanding arrears.
Several proposals aim to strike a usage agreement, including partial stand openings, rent reductions or freezes, and a variable rent model tied to attendance and ticket revenue, as thousands of fans are expected at each home game.
Prefectural oversight of away matches and the movement of ultras supporters is also a major concern, after the chaotic organization of the Coupe de France third‑round tie in Saintes, where the club refused to cover the €40 000 security budget, forcing the game behind closed doors.