French football giants Bordeaux have received a verdict from the league, confirming they will remain in the second division for the upcoming season.
As reported by ESPN, the league punished the six-time Ligue 1 champions on Monday for a pitch invader assaulting a Rodez player in a game that took place on June 2.
The encounter between Bordeaux and Rodez on the final day of the 2022/23 Ligue 2 season was abandoned after Lucas Buades handed Le RAF a 1-0 cushion midway through the first half.
While the visitors were celebrating an all-important opener that guaranteed second-tier survival, a Bordeaux supporter rushed onto the pitch and tackled Buades to the ground.
Match referee Nicolas Rainville immediately halted proceedings at the Matmut Atlantique, ordering the players and coaching staff to withdraw from the field.
However, they never left the locker rooms again after Buades was diagnosed with a concussion, forcing the officials to suspend the fixture until further notice.
Unfortunately for Bordeaux, the verdict came on Monday, releasing the club’s worst fears.
The French officials have shown zero tolerance for hooliganism, denying Les Girondins the chance to return to Ligue 1 only a year after suffering relegation for the first time since 1990/91.
David Guion’s men were embroiled in a fierce competition with Metz for the second promotion spot in the second division, trailing behind the champions Le Havre.
Metz secured a 3-2 victory against Bastia on the final day, positioning themselves for promotion unless Bordeaux can successfully appeal against the committee’s decision.
Les Girondins boast a glittering trophy cabinet, having won six French league titles, four French Cups and three League Cups. They also shone on the continental stage, lifting the Intertoto Cup in 1995.
Bordeaux last won the Ligue 1 crown in 2009, but it remains to be seen when they’ll have another chance to dethrone perennial champions Paris Saint-Germain.
