Club Statement

Ahead of today's ruling from the LFP Disciplinary Committee regarding the interrupted match between our club and Rodez Aveyron Football, the Girondins de Bordeaux would like to reiterate their firm opposition to violence in any form. Violence has no place in football, and we are pursuing legal action against the individual responsible for the pitch invasion. The Girondins de Bordeaux would also like to reaffirm our commitment to the values of sportsmanship and fair play. On these grounds, we have asked the Disciplinary Committee to allow the match to be replayed, with no further penalties imposed on the Girondins, so that the Ligue 2 season can be concluded in the only fair way available - on the pitch. Now that the tensions and emotions roused by the dramatic incident have had time to settle down, the Club would like to set out some key points based on our objective analysis of the available images: -    The individual who managed to slip past the security guards and get onto the pitch was rapidly caught and restrained by stadium staff; -    The stadium was packed with a sell-out crowd of 41,591 fans, all of whom left calmly and respectfully after the match was called off. The RAF players were able to get on their bus and leave the stadium without the slightest incident; -    Unlike many other clubs, Bordeaux has not witnessed any acts of violence in the stadium in recent years, thanks in large part to the constant dialogue and cooperation we have with our supporters' groups; -  The individual who got onto the pitch appears to have succeeded only in making contact with the shoulder of the Rodez goalscorer, at a time when he was surrounded by several of his team-mates, with two of them subsequently falling to the ground; -    There does not appear to by any way that the supposed concussion suffered by the player could result from the actions of the individual in question. That Friday evening, and over the ensuing days, RAF offered a series of contradictory explanations which subsequently turned out to be false and contrary to the spirit of the game, including claims that the player had been transferred to hospital after his fall, and that it was impossible to restart the game despite the fact that all necessary safety measures were in place. With regard to the severity of the injury suffered by the player, press reports indicate that a medical examiner, an independent medical expert commissioned by the public prosecutor, found "no injury" and prescribed just one day off work. The Girondins de Bordeaux are also curious as to why RAF were unwilling to cooperate with investigators in the hours and days following the incident. In light of these elements, the Girondins de Bordeaux have submitted a complaint to the LFP Disciplinary Committee, accusing RAF of violating the sporting principle of fair play (Articles 124 and 207 of the FFF's general regulations), specifically the rule stating that no person may seek to influence the fair and equitable course and/or result of a match or competition in order to obtain an advantage for themselves or a third party, which constitutes an act of fraud or attempted fraud. Given the highly unfair consequences of this situation for all clubs in Ligue 2, the Girondins de Bordeaux urge the Disciplinary Committee to fully investigate these matters and to take all appropriate administrative measures and penalties with regard to those found to be at fault. The Girondins de Bordeaux reiterate their request for a solution which does not involve any disciplinary sanction against our club, allowing us to replay the interrupted match so that the outcome of this Ligue 2 season may be decided on the pitch - the only fair way to settle this matter.