Football Season Guide

Bordeaux concluded last season in 6th place in Ligue 1 and will be aiming to improve upon that in the fresh campaign. It had been expected that Jocelyn Gourvennec's side might have made a more sustained push towards the top of the standings last season but a somewhat sluggish start to the season prevented them from doing so. This time around, they are hoping to profit from their encouraging conclusion. No dramatic alterations have yet been made to their squad, with Vukasin Jovanovic remaining after a successful loan deal – something of a surprise given that he had suggested he would go back to Zenit this summer. Youssouf Sabaly also remains, having enjoyed a positive season at the club on loan from PSG last term. Indeed, the only three entirely new faces in their ranks are goalkeeper Benoit Costil, who replaces veteran Cedric Carrasso, midfielder Lukas Lerager and Alexandre Mendy, an unspectacular but workmanlike striker who did reasonable work for Guingamp last term. It may be that further players arrive before the end of August, as funds have been freed up due to their work in terms of selling players. Adam Ounas, who never really hit the heights last season, is their most notable departure, with his move to Napoli worth around €10 million. Additionally, Jeremy Menez, who was something of a flop after arriving amid much fanfare, has also departed the club for Antalyaspor. Little will have changed in the starting XI, though there is still the prospect of Diego Rolan moving on. Bordeaux will look to Francois Kamano and Malcom for offensive inspiration after both impressed towards the end of last season, while they also boast a very solid midfield corps that is led by Jeremy Toulalan. There is no area in which Bordeaux are particularly outstanding but they have solid depth all over the field and a highly rated coach in the dugout.