New controversial revelations concerning Lopez!

The financial management of Gérard Lopez at the Girondins de Bordeaux is once again under fire from critics. Mediapart recently published new elements which point the finger at the economic practices of the businessman at the head of the club since July 2021. This information, revealed on October 2, reveals a series of controversial decisions, further fueling the anger of Bordeaux supporters.

Lopez still at the heart of controversies

The investigation carried out by journalists Yann Philippin and Mathias Thépot highlights opaque financial agreements signed shortly after the acquisition of the club. For example, “ on August 18, 2021, barely three weeks after buying the club, Gérard Lopez signed a services agreement committing the club to pay an amount of 3.3 million euros to the holding company La Dynamie, controlled by Gérard Lopez, i.e. ‘equivalent to… 7% of the turnover for the 2021-2022 financial year of the FCGB. ” These transactions raise many questions, especially since this sum was invoiced for so-called “ organizational, strategic and management ».

In addition to these commissions, the debt of the Girondins continued to grow. Gérard Lopez allegedly transferred an additional 2.8 million euros to his Luxembourg-based company, Jogo Bonito Group. According to his lawyer, this amount was supposed to cover “ essential services for the management and overall supervision of the various entities, including the FCGB “. However, this justification was not enough to appease the critics, especially after the club’s demotion from Ligue 1 to Ligue 2 at the end of the 2021-2022 season, then an even more marked descent to the fourth division. last season.

The economic situation of the Girondins is all the more tense as Gérard Lopez has increased his borrowings from players like King Street and Fortress, accumulating loans with high interests. In total, these financial arrangements have put the club into a spiral of debt which could, according to observers, jeopardize the very future of the institution. However, the owner recently obtained a stay from the commercial court to try to redress the situation.

Already implicated for similar practices in the past, notably for questionable financial arrangements in tax havens in 2017, Gérard Lopez once again finds himself at the center of the controversy. It remains to be seen whether the new guarantees provided will be enough to reassure French football authorities and, above all, Girondins supporters, who are increasingly worried about the future of their historic club.