How one of France's top soccer clubs ended up fighting for its very survival in the lower leagues
Inside Bordeaux’s training complex a giant map shows every soccer club it has ever faced in European competition, including AC Milan, Bayern Munich and Juventus
BORDEAUX, France (AP) — Inside Bordeaux’s training complex a giant map shows every soccer club it has ever faced in European competition, including giants such as AC Milan, Bayern Munich and Juventus.
These days few fans have even heard of Bordeaux’s opponents, and high-profile away games have been replaced by arduous six-hour bus journeys to little-known stadiums in small-town France.
The club — a six-time national champion that was once home to France great Zinedine Zidane — is languishing in the amateur-level fourth division after one of European soccer’s most staggering declines.
Swamped by 118 million euros ($128 million) of debt, Bordeaux has closed its youth academy, women’s division and most administrative offices. It has filed for bankruptcy and renounced its status as a professional sports club. On Nov. 5, more than 80 people will lose their jobs in a 6 million euros ($6.5 million) redundancy plan. Without a new investor in sight one of France’s proudest clubs faces a race against time to avoid liquidation.
