Ten National 1 presidents alarmed by late Bordeaux reinstatement | OneFootball

According to L'Équipe, 10 National 1 club presidents issued a joint statement on Wednesday warning against a late reinstatement of Girondins de Bordeaux, as the club appears before the CNOSF in the afternoon.

They said they were astonished by Sparta Capital's statement about a takeover and sharply criticised the record of Gérard Lopez. The presidents, all from group B in the west of France, argued the FFF had given too little weight to the DNCG.

They suggested that everything pointed to Lopez ultimately benefiting and that the fund behind the deal would be able to continue causing harm to a historic club.

They warned a late U-turn could upend the calendar for the 16 clubs in group B only days before the season starts on 22 August. They added one team might again be allowed to start later than the rest, which they said would undermine fairness.

While acknowledging Bordeaux's stature in French football, they argued the club has been poorly managed, whereas less heralded sides are building with seriousness and commitment.

With a new professional sport law led by the French federation intended to tighten oversight of club takeovers, they said the Bordeaux case would be an opportunity to demonstrate a will to clean up French football.

After filing a CNOSF appeal on 27 July, Bordeaux's new leadership are expected at 14:00 on Wednesday for a video conference, a final opportunity to return to the fourth tier and avoid exclusion from all national competitions.

Source: L'Équipe

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