According to French media outlet RMC, six-time Ligue 1 champions Girondins de Bordeaux are on the brink of bankruptcy liquidation, with the club potentially being removed from the National Championship (Championnat National) for the upcoming season.

Recently, a mediator from the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF) issued an advisory opinion recommending that the French football financial watchdog’s decision to expel Bordeaux from the National Championship should be upheld.

The significant ruling has left the historic club, who have won the Ligue 1 title six times, just one step away from judicial liquidation. Bordeaux now have 15 days to appeal the decision.

On July 31, investment company Spartha Capital completed a symbolic €1 purchase of Bordeaux from Gérard Lopez. The new owners claimed at the time that they had secured €10.6 million in funding to clear outstanding debts from the 2025-26 season and support the club’s operations for the 2026-27 campaign.

However, the release of those funds was subject to a strict condition: Bordeaux had to retain their place in the National Championship.

If the French Football Federation delivers a decision unfavorable to Bordeaux, the club will face the immediate threat of judicial liquidation.

At present, Bordeaux have only completed registration for the New Aquitaine regional first division, a local amateur competition scheduled to begin on August 29.

Bordeaux now have 15 days to challenge the mediator’s recommendation and request an emergency hearing at the administrative court. However, this legal process would only prolong the ongoing judicial and administrative dispute surrounding the club and does not guarantee a favorable outcome.

The current situation suggests that if the punishment of “expulsion from the National Championship” is confirmed, it would have a devastating impact on the club’s ongoing restructuring process.

Unless Spartha Capital is willing to continue funding the club despite a potential relegation to the regional leagues, the restructuring officer who has overseen the implementation of the recovery plan since June 2025 would be forced to request an early termination of the restructuring agreement from the commercial court.

If that happens, the court is highly likely to order the start of liquidation proceedings against Bordeaux.