One euro. That was the price.
Gérard Lopez, the Spanish businessman who bought Girondins de Burdeos in 2021, has just handed it over to British investment fund Park Bench. The club announced the deal this Wednesday, 30 September. Six league titles in France, a huge history, and it is being transferred for the price of a coin.
The small print is where the real news lies. Park Bench takes on a debt of 26 million euros, which the agreement cuts in half, to 13 million, and extends the repayment period from 10 to 12 years. Lopez also waives any right to recover that money if the club ever becomes a viable business again.
Girondins has suffered several relegations since 2022 and even fell to the lowest divisions of French football. Before everything is finalized, the new owners will have to be interviewed by the regional commission for management oversight of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine League.
A lifeline or a burden no one else wanted?