Girondins await FFF decision on National 2 future

The Girondins de Bordeaux will learn on Thursday whether they can remain in France’s national leagues or must continue in Regional 1. The executive committee of the French Football Federation is due to meet at 18:30 to decide between admitting the club to National 2 and retaining its current place in the sixth tier.

The decision follows a ruling on 21 August by the Paris administrative court, which upheld the ban on Bordeaux taking part in national competitions. That sanction had been imposed in July because of the club’s financial problems. The court rejected arguments that the club had achieved a new level of financial viability, leaving its legal options against relegation exhausted.

Sports Minister Marina Ferrari intervened publicly on Wednesday, urging the federation to consider the importance of the six-time French champions to the Bordeaux region. She said a solution might exist between relegation to the regional or a lower division and the club’s disappearance, while stressing that the federation must determine the appropriate level.

Bordeaux has asked for a place in National 2, presenting it as a middle ground between its original request for National 1 and its current Regional 1 position. The club was bought in late July by Sparta Capital but remains heavily indebted, and could face judicial liquidation if the new owner withdraws.