a little breath of fresh air for Girondins supporters, now in national 2

Sunday 22nd December 2024 02:11 AM

This Sunday, Bordeaux hosts Stade Rennais at home. The kick-off is given at 2:45 p.m. on the Matmut-Atlantique lawn for one of the posters for the 32nd final of the Coupe de France. If Rennes starts favorites, the Girondins will be keen to offer a victory to their supporters, while the club is at half mast.

Formerly a classic of French football, today, the Gironde club plays in national 2, the equivalent of 4^th division, and could well disappear. This match against the Bretons, residents of Ligue 1, is a small breath of fresh air for Girondins supporters who are experiencing serious difficulties.

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Bad luck for the Girondins de Bordeaux

This bastion of French football, with a colossal debt of 120 million euros, has been placed in receivership. Consequence: 86 employees were made redundant, from the gardener to the press officer to the general manager. Six times French champion, the club is stagnating in 4^th division and it is certainly not this meeting against Rennes which will bring a smile to the face of Alain Giresse, Europe1 consultant and legend of the Bordeaux club.

“It tortures me,” he confides. “It was a cataclysm, there is nothing left. There you have it, it's an amateur club and I am obliged to note it and deplore it”, he continues, at the microphone of Europe 1.

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But this Sunday afternoon, a festive atmosphere is expected at the Matmut Atlantique stadium. The 20,000 tickets sold like hotcakes, confirms the mayor of Bordeaux, Pierre Hurmic.

Attachment “of the Bordeaux people”

“There is a real fervor around this match and it is a way for the people of Bordeaux to recall this formidable attachment which has never been lost despite the sporting and financial misadventures of the club”, insists the environmentalist mayor of the city.

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Led by former Liverpool English international Andy Caroll, Bordeaux hopes to create the feat against Rennes, even if the priority remains the championship and survival. As a reminder, the club has an appointment at the end of January at the commercial court and risks liquidation.