In a stunning display of fan support, Girondins de Bordeaux has announced a massive crowd for their upcoming National 2 fixture. The club confirmed that 22,500 spectators have already secured their tickets for the match against Les Herbiers, scheduled for Saturday at 18:00. This figure establishes a new all-time attendance record for a fourth-division match in French football.
The previous record was held by Strasbourg, who drew 20,044 fans for a derby against Mulhouse back in April 2013. That match took place when the division was known as the CFA. Bordeaux's achievement is particularly noteworthy given their own recent attendance peak was 12,000 for a home game against Poitiers in March.
This record-setting crowd arrives at a critical juncture in the season. The Marine et Blanc are locked in a fierce battle for promotion to the future Ligue 3. They currently sit level on points with La Roche-sur-Yon at the top of Group A, with only the group winner guaranteed promotion. Bordeaux closed the gap to just one point after a hard-fought 2-1 victory away at Bayonne last weekend.
The team's resurgence has coincided with the appointment of Rio Mavuba as head coach. Under his leadership, the squad has built a positive and encouraging dynamic on the pitch. This momentum will be crucial as they enter the final stretch of the campaign.
Meanwhile, their main promotion rivals, La Roche-sur-Yon, are experiencing a slump in form. They have drawn their last four matches, allowing a once-commanding seven-point lead over Bordeaux to evaporate completely. The pressure is now firmly on the Vendéen side.
There is also a secondary route to promotion for the second-placed team in the group. This pathway becomes available if there is more than one administrative relegation from the National (future Ligue 3). In that scenario, a mini-league would be formed between the runners-up from the three National 2 groups. Only points earned against the top six teams in each group would count in this special classification.
In this potential playoff scenario, Bordeaux currently occupies second place, but they trail the group C runner-up, Lusitanos-Saint-Maur, by three points. Every remaining match is therefore vital for the club's ambitions to climb back up the French football pyramid.
Based on reporting from Foot - actualités, mercato, info & vidéo en continu.