Football Season Guide

Bordeaux had a disappointing 2019-20 season, finishing in the bottom half of the Ligue 1 table when a European challenge was expected. There is a great deal of friction currently at the club, largely being generated by the owners, who have not invested significantly in the playing squad. This has led to the fans becoming openly hostile towards the squad, while head coach Paulo Sousa was sacked two weeks before the start of the season to be replaced by Jean-Louis Gasset. It does not bode well for a happy camp this season, particularly as so little headway has been made to improving the squad. Certainly, the tools at Sousa’s disposal were not optimised last term, but he and his staff worked hard over the summer and showed some encouraging signs in a thumping 4-0 win over Reims in a friendly. The new management side are very capable - that has been proven at Saint-Etienne in the past - but they arrive in difficult circumstances. There is a lack of a true No.9, with Alexandre Mendy set to return from loan to take up that role. Around him, there is a good deal of quality, with Nicolas De Preville starting to show his true potential last season, although Hwang Ui-jo and Remi Oudin must improve their consistency. Beyond that pairing, Francois Kamano, Samuel Kalu and Josh Maja can all hope to start, though Kamano may well be sold. The chief playmaker in the midfield is set to be Ruben Pardo, while Tomas Basic is set to start the season on the bench, with Mehdi Zerkane having apparently moved ahead of him in Sousa’s eyes. Yacine Adli has yet to demonstrate his talents to their fullest, but that is the case with this Bordeaux squad on the whole. Gasset must hope having their backs pinned to the wall can bring the best out of them.