Bordeaux cleared to play in Ligue 2 days out from season
Bordeaux has been cleared to remain in Ligue 2 just three days before it is due to start the season.
The club was facing the prospect of dropping into the third tier of French football due to financial irregularities.
Les Girondins were relegated after finishing bottom of Ligue 1 last season and were last month told they would be in the Championnat National for the 2022-23 campaign following a DNCG (National Directorate of Management Control) investigation of their finances.
The six-time champion of France, which reportedly has debts close to €40million, immediately announced its intention to appeal, but the French Football Federation (FFF) confirmed its sanctions will stand this month.
There was good news for Bordeaux on Wednesday, though, when they discovered it will not face a further demotion after demonstrating the "current and future financial robustness" of the club.
A statement on the club's official website said: "Today, the executive committee of the French Football Federation (FFF) held a special meeting to approve the recommendations of the National Olympic and Sporting Committee (CNOSF) issued on 25 July, thus definitively confirming that FC Girondins de Bordeaux will be able to play in Ligue 2 this season.
"Following the lead of the Commercial Court and the CNOSF, the FFF has now formally acknowledged the current and future financial robustness of our club, and the fact that we are more than adequately prepared to play in Ligue 2 this season, in full compliance with the relevant sporting regulations."
Bordeaux is scheduled to face Valenciennes in its first game of the Ligue 2 on Sunday (AEST), but it remains to be seen if the fixture will go ahead.
