Gérard Lopez attempted to keep a foothold at Girondins de Bordeaux right up to the conclusion of the club's sale negotiations with Park Bench, according to L'Équipe. The French outlet reports that Lopez, whose company held the club, sought to maintain some involvement as the deal with the English investment fund was finalized.
An agreement to transfer the club from Lopez's company to Park Bench was announced by Girondins de Bordeaux. Local outlet ICI Gironde reported that the club was sold to the English fund, and RTL reported that a new owner had been named for a symbolic one euro, easing the threat of judicial liquidation.
The timing places the sale near the five-year mark of Bordeaux's decline, a period L'Équipe also examined in its coverage. The club, a six-time French champion, has fallen from Ligue 1 through financial and sporting difficulties in recent seasons.
Lopez's reported effort to remain connected to the club did not prevent the sale from going through, per L'Équipe. The completion of the Park Bench deal marks a change of ownership at a club that had been facing the prospect of liquidation before the agreement was reached.
What to watch next: whether Park Bench's takeover is formally ratified and how the new owners move to stabilize the club's finances and league status.
