Fenway Sports Group may soon own another soccer club after Liverpool FC. The takeover would come at the right time for Girondins Bordeaux
It has been known for some time that Fenway Sports Group (FSG) wants to acquire another soccer club after Liverpool FC. There is now a concrete target in the search: both the Boston-based holding company and Girondins Bordeaux itself have confirmed that both sides are in talks regarding a swift takeover.
“Fenway Sports Group has expressed its interest in a potential acquisition of French soccer club Girondins de Bordeaux and is in the early stages of dialog and collaboration,” said a statement from FSG on Tuesday. “As long as the process is in this exploratory phase, we will not make any further comments. “
Forced relegation to third division once again looms for Bordeaux
Bordeaux are once again in financial difficulties. The Direction Nationale du Controle de Gestion (DNCG), which oversees the finances of French professional clubs, has just relegated the six-time champions from Ligue 2 to the third-tier National 1, and the club is taking action against this. He already has experience in this: just two years ago, he averted the same verdict at the last moment and was then almost promoted to Ligue 1. He finished the 2023/24 season in twelfth place in the table.
The aim now is to complete a takeover within a short space of time in order to provide the necessary financial guarantees. An appeal has been lodged, giving the club “the necessary time to finalize one of the options to secure financing for next season”, the traditional club wrote in a statement on Tuesday. “In this context, the project to transfer a majority stake to Fenway Sports Group was explained to DNCG this morning in the presence of its representatives.”
FSG, which holds a majority stake in the MLB team Boston Red Sox and the NHL team Pittsburgh Penguins, among others, took over Liverpool FC in 2010 and thus made the right financial decision. The Reds are now in fourth place in the Forbes ranking of the most valuable soccer clubs.
