The news fell like a glimmer of hope, at the heart of a hellish period for the Girondins de Bordeaux.
This Monday, the French National Olympic and Sports Committee said it was in favor of keeping the club in Ligue 2. Administratively demoted to National by the DNCG, Bordeaux still hopes to avoid falling below the second level of French football.
The opinion of the CNOSF, positive but advisory, consolidates the Bordeaux file, the fate of which now depends on the executive committee of the French Football Federation.
It will meet on Wednesday.
But beware, in the past, he did not always listen to the opinion of the CNOSF.
Strasbourg and Le Mans also believed in it
In 2011, Strasbourg had also had renewed hope, before seeing the Comex of the FFF put an end to its hopes.
Just sportingly lowered to National, Racing Club had been demoted to CFA (now National 2), before the CNOSF supported its maintenance in the third level.
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But the FFF did not then follow these recommendations, confirming the administrative relegation of Strasbourg.
A decision which then led to the liquidation of the club, and its descent into the fifth division before a rise to L1.
A similar scenario had affected the Le Mans club, whose National Committee had wanted to keep it in National in 2013, before being dismissed by the Federation.
Everything ended well for Nice and Lens
To keep hope while waiting for Wednesday's verdict, Bordeaux supporters will prefer to remember two examples with more positive outcomes.
That of Nice first, in 2002. After having validated its rise in Ligue 1 on the ground, the Gym had been sanctioned for its financial state and demoted to National.
Like the demonstration of more than 2,000 Girondins in the street this month, Nice supporters then mobilized to show their support for the club, also forming a “sacred union”.
Employees, players, former players, partners, supporters: #TousUnis 💙🤍 pic.twitter.com/BeJzfsAh8b
— FC Girondins de Bordeaux (@girondins) July 9, 2022
The CNOSF had come out against the administrative relegation of the club, and had been followed by the FFF.
More recently, in 2014, Lens had also benefited from a positive opinion from the CNOSF, which was later confirmed.
The Sang et Or, promoted to Ligue 1 but retained in Ligue 2 by the DNCG, had finally won their case, like Nice twelve years earlier.
A solid case
The Girondins therefore hope to join these beautiful stories, and present several weighty arguments for this.
The president of the club, Gérard Lopez, had his rescue plan for the Girondins approved by the Bordeaux commercial court.
Agreements reached between the club and its creditors King Street and Fortress seal the reduction of the club's debt by 75%, from 53 million euros to 13.5 million euros.
24 million euros are also placed in sequestration, in the form of a capital increase and guarantee of player sales.
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Departures well launched by that of Sékou Mara, officially transferred to Southampton on Monday.
The operation brings 13 million euros to the Girondins, a godsend at a crucial moment.
A period of uncertainty which will therefore end this Wednesday with the final verdict of the 14 executive members of the FFF.
In the meantime, Bordeaux, 6 times champion of France, continues to believe in it.