Girondins de Bordeaux have suffered a fresh blow that threatens their footballing future, after the French Football Federation upheld the recommendation of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee to maintain the club's exclusion from national competitions, amid the crippling financial crisis it is facing.
In an official statement, the French Football Federation backed the reconciliation proposal put forward by the national committee. It deemed the assessment of Bordeaux's financial situation made by its appeals committee "justified", and called on the club to accept the disputed decision.
Bordeaux had voiced their surprise at the Olympic committee's recommendation on Saturday morning. They stressed that what it issued was "not a decision but a recommendation", and that the final word rests with the executive committee of the French Football Federation, as the body authorised to determine the club's fate.
At the heart of the crisis lies Bordeaux's inability to provide around 10 million euros. That money was required to complete the 2025-2026 season and finance the following campaign, before the British fund "Sparta Capital" took over the club for a symbolic euro from businessman Gerard Lopez in late July and worked to provide the financial guarantees needed to save it.
Matters grew more complicated after 10 top-flight clubs denounced Bordeaux's new attempt. They stressed that the money that was supposed to be provided as financial guarantees had not been paid by the deadline set by the national committee.
Bordeaux's future is now seriously threatened. Having prepared to take part in the national first division league, they find themselves excluded from all national competitions. In the best-case scenario they may drop down to the regional first division league, the sixth level in the pyramid of French football.
The club has 15 days to appeal the decision before the administrative court, a final attempt to avoid the collapse of one of France's most storied clubs.