It seems that Bordeaux will have to work hard for at least another year in the fourth division. Held to a draw by Avranches (3-3), the Girondins (N2) failed on Saturday to secure direct promotion to League 3, being surpassed by La Roche-sur-Yon, who won against Locminé (2-0) and finished first in Group A of National 2.
The team managed by former international midfielder Rio Mavuba, who were one point behind the people of Vendée, but with a superior goal difference before the final round, were unable to regain the top spot in Group A and ended up three points behind. While they did not secure promotion to the new professional L3 division replacing National, there remains a slim chance of administrative promotion for Girondins.
Administrative Hope?
As the second-best runners-up of the three N2 groups, behind Bourges in Group B, they would be promoted in case of triple administrative relegation of National clubs facing financial difficulties or unwilling to turn professional. Bordeaux had been administratively relegated in July 2024 following a financial audit requested by their Spanish-Luxembourgish owner Gerard Lopez, which had seen them drop from L2 to N2.
