Once a French giant, now sold for just €1: Historic club fights for survival

Pulse Sports Team 16:00 - 30 September 2026

French football club Girondins de Bordeaux has been sold for a symbolic one euro to American investment firm Park Bench. The six-time Ligue 1 champions, demoted to the sixth tier during the summer due to severe financial turmoil, could now avoid liquidation thanks to the deal.

Subject to approval by the relevant football authorities, the investment fund will also take over the club's debts of around €18 million from current owner Gerard Lopez. "This agreement represents a major step forward for the future of FC Girondins de Bordeaux," the club announced in an official statement.

Without fresh investment, the former French heavyweight faced the threat of extinction after the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF) rejected their appeal against exclusion from national competitions in the summer. Bordeaux's illustrious past includes 1998 World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane, who once donned the club's shirt.