Official Statement

The FFF's appeals committee has confirmed the DNCG's decision to relegate the Girondins de Bordeaux to the National 1 division. The club is stunned and confused by this decision. The club and its majority shareholder put forward a financial strategy which was widely acknowledged by experts to be robust and reasonable, responding point-by-point to the issues raised by the financial committee three weeks ago. Thanks to an immense collective effort, FC Girondins de Bordeaux has sufficient financing in place to compete in Ligue 2 next season - in fact, our club has the biggest operating budget of any club in the second division, as we pursue our goal of bouncing straight back into the top flight. This budget in itself is proof of Gérard Lopez's full and unwavering dedication to saving the club. Our plan responds to all of the points raised by the DNCG on 14th June, bringing in addition funding of €40M thanks to: -    A clear commitment from the majority shareholder to inject more capital into the club, in spite of the difficult context; -    A major restructuring of the club's debt, with the cooperation of our creditors; -    A break and renegotiation of the rent due on the stadium, made possible by Bordeaux Métropole; -    New credit lines made available to the Club against projected player sales. With this shocking decision, the FFF has thrown the very survival of our club into doubt, with disastrous consequences for the entire ecosystem that revolves around the Girondins: our employees, our fans, our suppliers, our volunteers, the young hopefuls in our Academy, the stadium operator and many others too. Gérard Lopez has shared his frustration: "This decision is unjust, unacceptable and incomprehensible. I want to send a message this evening to all of our supporters, all of the people of Bordeaux, all of the people who have this club in their blood: I will fight until the bitter end, and that is why we are already lodging an appeal against this unfair ruling."