Football Season Guide

When Bordeaux were taken over earlier in the year by a group of American investors, there was great excitement as to where the club might go. So far, they have been travelling backwards at significant speed with little sign of that negative momentum stopping over the summer. Head coach Paulo Sousa, their fourth permanent coach in 18 months and third last season alone, has made a poorer start to his career in the dugout than anyone in the past. They finished last season in 14th place with just 41 points and 17 matches lost – the most in a generation. Reasons for optimism ahead of the new campaign are few and far between. Rather than strengthen the squad, it is actually looking weaker now than it did when the season finished. Key centre-back Jules Kounde has been moved on and, while no other big players have departed, the likes of Lukas Lerager and Zaydou Youssouf were both very useful squad members. In return, the defence appears to have been bolstered by a succession of free transfers: Enoch Kwateng and Mexer, seasoned Ligue 1 players who should do a steady job, and Loris Benit from Young Boys have arrived, while Ui-jo Hwang joins up as an entirely unknown quantity from Gamba Osaka. There is decent depth in the defence, if little impressive quality, while in the midfield there remains uncertainty over the future of many players, with Younousse Sankhare, Valentin Vada and Francois Kamano all linked with moves away. A reliance on younger players is likely, with Albert Lottin, Yacine Adli and Aurelien Tchouameni all teenagers likely to see a good deal of game time. In attack, meanwhile, there are also issues with a sector largely composed of players who misfired last season. With Sousa still apparently unsure what his strongest side is, Bordeaux go into this season in a mess.