Bordeaux Relegated to France’s Sixth Tier

Bordeaux, one of France’s most storied football clubs, has been relegated to the country’s sixth division after the French Football Federation refused to reopen its case.

The federation’s special executive committee made the decision Thursday. Bordeaux had hoped to play in the fourth tier next season, but a Paris court rejected the club’s appeal last month. The club could not demonstrate that it had the roughly 10 million euros needed to cover its finances for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons while also repaying its debt.

The financial collapse has already stripped Bordeaux of its professional status and its recognized youth academy. The club dropped into Ligue 2 in 2022 and entered restructuring in 2024 following a court ruling.

Founded in 1936, Bordeaux has won the French championship six times and helped launch the career of Zinedine Zidane, the football legend who now coaches France’s national team. Its future is now uncertain. The club risks compulsory liquidation if its new owners pull out, a move they indicated in August that they might make.