Liverpool's owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), have decided to withdraw from discussions to acquire the struggling French football club Bordeaux.
Bordeaux announced that FSG's decision was influenced by the anticipated high maintenance costs of the stadium and the overall financial uncertainty within French football.
Last week, FSG acknowledged that they were in the "early stages of dialogue and engagement" regarding a potential deal for Bordeaux, a club that has won the French championship six times.
However, Bordeaux is currently facing significant challenges. The club was provisionally relegated to the third tier, National 1, by the French football financial watchdog, DNCG, due to their inability to provide financial guarantees for the 2024-25 season. Bordeaux is appealing this decision.
In a statement, Bordeaux said, "FC Girondins de Bordeaux and its shareholder have been informed by Fenway Sports Group of its intention not to pursue the discussions initiated in recent weeks with a view to buying the club. This decision is 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."
Despite this setback, Bordeaux was granted an initial stay of proceedings by the DNCG on June 27.
FSG expressed their disappointment in a statement, saying, "Although we are disappointed not to have found a viable outcome, we wish the club and its supporters well for the future."
Earlier this year, when FSG appointed Michael Edwards as the company's chief executive of football, part of his role was to help identify and manage a second club.
