New Bordeaux owners face clock to secure National 1 return and avoid collapse | OneFootball

Bordeaux were taken over by Anglo-American investors on Friday and are now racing to be readmitted to National 1 before the new campaign. According to L'Équipe, the first step is a conciliation hearing at the CNOSF on Wednesday at 14:00.

Supporters remain uneasy after the new backers thanked and paid warm tribute to Gérard Lopez, the owner who oversaw a slide from Ligue 1 to D4 in three years. Park Bench echoed that praise in a second statement, published in French and English on Sunday.

The US venture fund Park Bench backed Sparta Capital to acquire 100% of the club for a symbolic one euro. Sparta appears a financing vehicle, with Park Bench the effective new owner. The structure enabled a 10.5 million euro injection to fund the coming season, clear arrears and meet continuation plan payments.

With the finances addressed, the sporting battle now dominates. A conciliator is not expected to rule before next week. If the opinion goes against Bordeaux, they could turn to the administrative court, a worst-case path that would keep them in Régional 1, risk the sale being voided and hasten liquidation.

If Bordeaux prevail, the CNOSF opinion is advisory, but the FFF executive committee usually follows it. The club could be reinstated in National 1, ex-N2, within 24 to 48 hours, as the 17th team in one of three groups of 16, likely Group B in the west. They could skip the opening round and even seek a postponement of round two to prepare and recruit, as they did two years ago after relegation to N2.

Source: L'Équipe