In 1996, Oliver Kahn won his first major title with FC Bayern in the UEFA Cup final at Girondins Bordeaux. Is there now a reunion with the French club - possibly as an investor?
03.01.2025, 09:00
dpa
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- Last summer, the former top club Bordeaux filed for bankruptcy and was relegated to the fourth-tier National 2.
- According to a media report, Oliver Kahn is being considered as a possible investor in the club. The matter is not yet concrete, but an initial exchange has been positive.
Former world-class goalkeeper Oliver Kahn is apparently interested in taking over Girondins Bordeaux, a club that has fallen from grace. According to the French newspaper "Sud Ouest", former Olympique-Marseille boss Jacques-Henri Eyraud is said to have made initial contact with Girondins owner Gérard Lopez on Kahn's behalf in December. The first exchange was positive, but the matter is not yet concrete.
19 months after his departure as CEO of FC Bayern, it would be a surprising comeback to football for Kahn. However, the 55-year-old would have to do some development work in Bordeaux. The six-time French champions, who lost the UEFA Cup final against FC Bayern in 1996 with players such as Zinédine Zidane and Bixente Lizarazu with Kahn in goal, were relegated to the fourth-tier National 2 following insolvency in the summer. The club, which has debts of more than 100 million euros, is in fourth place.
Kahn interested in investment
Kahn had already indicated in the summer that he was interested in investing in the club. "Investing in football is different to investing in a screw manufacturer. Football is about culture, identity and community. If everything fits together, I can very well imagine it," the 2002 World Cup runner-up told "Kicker".
Girondins boss Lopez has been looking for investors for some time to save the traditional club. On January 21, another hearing is scheduled at the commercial court in Bordeaux, where the future of the club is at stake. In the worst-case scenario, the club could be liquidated by the courts.
