Bordeaux sold for €1 to Park Bench

Park Bench, an English investment fund, has agreed to buy the six-times French champions from Luxembourg businessman Gérard Lopez, who took control of the club in 2021.

The deal transfers Bordeaux's debts to the new owner. The club confirmed the sale on its own website, calling it a decisive moment for the side's future.

"Under the procedure laid down by law, the buyers will appear within the coming days before the Regional Management Control Commission of the Ligue de Football de Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The signing of this agreement marks an important step for Bordeaux's future," the club said in a statement.

That hearing is the next hurdle. Only once the commission clears the takeover will the purchase be finalised.

Bordeaux lost their professional status in the summer of 2024 because of financial difficulties and were relegated through the French pyramid as a result. In early September 2026 the club was excluded from the national leagues altogether, leaving even a return at Régional 1 level in doubt; several prospective buyers had come close to a deal before pulling out. As it stood, Bordeaux were set to start the 2026/27 season in the sixth tier.

The club's history stands in contrast to that position: six French league titles, the last in 2008/09, and four wins in the Coupe de France.

Should the Nouvelle-Aquitaine commission approve the takeover, Park Bench's ownership would give Bordeaux a financial backer for the first time since the club's collapse through the divisions began, though its route back toward the professional game would still start from the sixth tier.