Liverpool owner FSG withdraws from talks to buy Bordeaux

Liverpool’s owner Fenway Sports Group (FSG) has withdrawn from talks to buy French club Bordeaux.

FSG confirmed last week that it was in “the early stages of dialogue and engagement” over a deal for the French club, said on Tuesday that it had made the decision to withdraw from talks “following extensive and constructive discussions with all stakeholders”.

Bordeaux’s own statement on Tuesday said that FSG had informed them “of its intention not to pursue the discussions initiated in recent weeks with a view to buying the club.” The French side added that the decision was explained “in particular by the significant cost of the stadium in the years to come, but also by the general economic context of French football.

“The club and its shareholder are now putting all their energy into finalising a financing plan for the 2024-2025 season in preparation for the appeal hearing.”

The decision adds to that uncertainty around the future of the Ligue 2 club, after the Direction Nationale du Controle de Gestion (DNCG, the body responsible for overseeing the finances of French football clubs) decided to demote the club from the French second tier to the third. Bordeaux said last week they have appealed that decision.

Bordeaux were placed into administration in 2021 when their American owner King Street stated it would no longer support the club financially, and they were bought by Luxembourgish-Spanish businessman Gerard Lopez in June of that year.

Bordeaux are one of the biggest clubs in France, winning the title six times and reaching the Champions League quarter-finals in 2009-10, but have endured financial difficulties in recent seasons.

The club were relegated to Ligue 2 after finishing at the foot of the table in 2021-22 and have yet to return to the French top-flight, having previously spent just one season outside of the division between 1949 and 2022. Under former Liverpool winger Albert Riera, Bordeaux finished 12th in Ligue 2 in the 2023-24 season.

Some icons of the French game, including Zinedine Zidane, Christophe Dugarry and Jean Tigana, played for Bordeaux, while current Real Madrid and France midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni came through their youth system.