Park Bench has agreed to acquire Bordeaux from outgoing owner Gérard Lopez for a symbolic fee of €1, while also taking on the club’s reported €18 million debt.
The agreement comes with Bordeaux facing the prospect of bankruptcy after a dramatic decline that has taken one of France’s historic clubs from Ligue 1 to the sixth tier of French football.
The club had until the end of September to find a new owner, leaving little room for further negotiations. Park Bench had previously been linked with a takeover but appeared to withdraw from the process after Bordeaux’s relegation to the sixth level.
The investment group has now returned to the table and reached an agreement with Lopez.
The deal does not yet represent the final stage of the takeover. Bordeaux’s commercial court must approve the transaction, while a regional commission will also have to give its approval and validate the club’s budget for the 2026-27 season.
Until those steps are completed, there remains work to be done before Park Bench formally assumes control.
Nevertheless, the agreement represents a significant change in the outlook for a club whose financial future had been under serious threat.
Bordeaux described the takeover as an “important step for the future” on their official website.
The club have endured a prolonged financial crisis since their relegation from Ligue 1 in 2022. Once one of France’s most successful sides, Bordeaux have since fallen through the divisions and now compete at a level far removed from the top flight.
The club’s history, however, remains considerable.
Bordeaux have won the French championship six times and have been home to some of the country's most famous players. Zinédine Zidane and Laurent Blanc both represented the club, while Dutch internationals Wim Kieft and Richard Witschge also played at the Stade Chaban-Delmas.
The scale of the club’s decline has made the search for a new owner particularly important.
Park Bench’s willingness to take on the €18 million debt alongside the club itself now offers Bordeaux a potential route towards financial stability.
The immediate priority will be completing the required legal and regulatory approvals and establishing a sustainable budget for the new season.
After years in which Bordeaux’s existence itself appeared increasingly uncertain, the agreement with Park Bench gives the club a new ownership structure and the prospect of beginning another chapter.
The takeover is not yet complete, but Bordeaux have at least found a buyer willing to take responsibility for the club and its debts.