French soccer club Bordeaux, former team of Zinedine Zidane, give up pro status: Could they fold next?

Girondins de Bordeaux have renounced their professional status after the club was administratively relegated from French soccer's second tier earlier this week, according to Sud Ouest.  The six-time champions of France were demoted to the semiprofessional third tier after a late effort to acquire the club by Liverpool's owner Fenway Sports Group fell apart.

"Following the confirmation of the DNCG's decision to relegate FC Girondins de Bordeaux to National 1, the club filed for bankruptcy with the Bordeaux Commercial Court on Tuesday, in order to begin the necessary restructuring," the club said.

"Consequently, the Commercial Court will very soon pronounce the opening of collective proceedings which will automatically result in the loss of the club's professional status. Therefore, given the very short deadlines before the start of the National 1 season, the Club had to give up requesting the maintenance of its professional status, otherwise it would have had to appear again before the DNCG with a budget that did not correspond not to the future reality of the Club, which could have led to heavy additional sanctions. It is a difficult decision which anticipates an inevitable consequence of the ongoing restructuring process. Although the training center will close as a result, the Club will continue to promote youth teams.The effort of transparency vis-à-vis the French Football authorities of what the real situation of the Club will be in the days and weeks to come must in particular make it possible to limit the sporting consequences of this situation, the Club having the objective of evolve in National 1 next season, to allow, as quickly as possible, the return of the Club, with cleaned-up finances and renewed ambition, at the highest level."

Thursday's decision was communicated to the French soccer federation which marks the first time since 1937 that Bordeaux will not hold professional status. FCGB dropped into Ligue 2 back in 2022 after a steady period of decline and managed to avoid bankruptcy and a possible restart that summer one year into Gerard Lopez's costly reign.

Failure to return to Ligue 1 and mounting debts partly related to their oversized and expensive Matmut Atlantique have contributed to their financial demise. This latest development means that all players under contract -- senior and youth -- will now be free to leave the club and sign elsewhere.

Bordeaux's famed academy which has birthed France international players such as Aurelien Tchouameni and Jules Kounde will now shut its doors. The club has also had numerous superstars over the years such as Zinedine Zidane in the 90s. 

"It is difficult to accept the situation that my favorite club is in," wrote the Real Madrid man. "I am certain that the future will offer us better days. All of my heart is with the lovers of this club."

"No matter where or how, FCGB will continue to live," added Southampton's Sekou Mara. "Support and thoughts with all of the fans, employees, players, youngsters and staff."

French soccer's financial watchdog, the DNCG, provisionally relegated Les Girondins to Championnat National (semiprofessional third tier) which was later accepted after FSG talks broke down.

The four-time Coupe de France winners are now expected in front of the commercial court next week which could well see the club cease to exist.

There is expected to be an effort made to maintain Bordeaux in the third or fourth tier and for much of the debt to be written off but there is also a chance that a rebirth will be required.

A fourth domestic cup was won just over 11 years ago and it is the second time in consecutive years that a historic French club is close to going out of existence after FC Sochaux Montbeliard last year.