Bordeaux face relegation from Ligue 1 for the first time in 31 years this weekend, but the fallout for a club deep in financial turmoil risks extending far beyond simply dropping down a division.
The six-time French champions realistically need to win their final two games, at home to Lorient on Saturday and at Brest on May 21, to have a shot at finishing in the relegation play-off place.
However, their fate would be sealed if Saint-Etienne beat Reims or Nantes, condemning one of France’s most successful clubs to an uncertain future and the threat of bankruptcy.