The Girondins de Bordeaux, a French football club, have been administratively relegated to Regional 1, the sixth division of French football, after being excluded from national competitions in August 2026. On Wednesday, September 30, the club announced a transfer agreement with Park Bench, a British investment fund. The deal, valued at a symbolic euro, involves the assumption of the club’s debts. This move is intended to prevent the club from undergoing judicial liquidation and to submit a new continuation plan for approval by the Regional Control and Management Commission of the New Aquitaine Football League, which must validate the change of ownership and the budget for the 2026-2027 season. Park Bench has committed to repaying about 13 million euros of the club’s debts, down from an initial 26 million, over twelve years instead of ten in a previous plan. This reduction comes from new negotiations, especially with Fortress and former coach Vladimir Petkovic. Some debts will be forgiven and reduced to zero, and Gérard Lopez, the previous owner, has agreed to transfer his titles and abandon his claims. He has also waived his right to return to a better financial position, a provision that would have allowed him to receive future repayment of his claims if the club's financial situation improves. The French government has agreed to reduce its claims on VAT and URSSAF, which are tax and social security authorities, by 50%, totaling about 9.5 million euros. This means that part of the social and tax cost will be borne by taxpayers in Bordeaux and across France. The agreement now needs approval from the Bordeaux commercial court, which must endorse the modification of the continuation plan. The club will then need to present its new budget and recovery plan to the regional management control commission of the New Aquitaine Football League to be eligible to compete in Regional 1. These hearings and decisions are expected to occur soon, due to the urgency of the sports season, as the Girondins have only played two matches in the Coupe de France so far. Park Bench, an English investment fund that describes itself as a "collective of private investors," holds minority shares in several football clubs, including Córdoba in Spain, Sofia in Bulgaria, and Dunfermline Athletic in Scotland. James Bord, the founder of Park Bench, is also the head of Short Circuit Science, a company specializing in data processing and artificial intelligence to improve sports performance. Jeremy Green, who could become the main shareholder of the Girondins, said he knows Bordeaux well, thanks to his partner who works in the wine industry in California, and after living several years post-Brexit in Paris. In the agreement, Park Bench could also acquire the Atlantique stadium from Bordeaux Métropole. This would allow the investment fund to generate additional revenue by organizing cultural or sporting events at the venue. Before the continuation plan is validated, it is hard to predict the future sports prospects of the Girondins de Bordeaux. The club, which aims to compete in Regional 1 this season, plans to retain its general manager, Arnaud Saint-André, and the coach of its first team, Arnaud Cormier, for at least two more years. As for the squad, only five of the thirteen federal contracts can be retained. It remains unclear where the team will play their matches or what the conditions will be for away games.