Bordeaux

The club was founded in 1881 as an multi-sports club. The Girondins won the French league in 1950, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1999 and are the current champions having finished top in 2009. The club plays home games in the Stade Chaban Delmas, re-named after the former mayor of Bordeaux, Jacques Chaban-Delmas, having previously been known as the Parc Lescure. The club has a good record of European qualification.

Their biggest European moment came when they reached the UEFA Cup final in 1996. After qualifying for the Intertoto Cup, the Girondins won that competition to gain a place in the UEFA Cup. They reached the final after victories over Vardar Skopje, Rotor Volgograd, Real Betis, a heroic quarter-final win over Milan, and a semi-final win over Slavia Prague. In the UEFA Cup final, Bayern Munich prevented Bordeaux winning their first major European trophy, defeating them 5-1 on aggregate.

The club was established as an all-round sports club under the name Girondins  de Bordeaux on either 1 February 1882 or 1 October 1881, according the different sources. It was not until 1910 when, under pressure from Raymond Brard, football became the over-riding sporting interest. The first official Premier football match took place in 1919. Le Girondins turned professional in 1937, after rival clubs Sporting Club de la Bastidenne and Club Deportivo Espagnol de Bordeaux had come and gone, as well as their successor club, FC Hispano-Bastidenne.

Bordeaux captured their first Coupe de France in 1941, beating SC Fives 2-0. It would be 45 years before they would reclaim the title, after six failed attempts. In 1949/50 Bordeaux became champions of Ligue 1 just a year after winning Ligue 2, with André Gérard instrumental in their quest for the title. Bordeaux's defence became known as the "impenetrable fortress" with de Harder, Kargu and Libar all key figures

Over time, Bordeaux's form declined. Thirteen weeks into the 1979-80 season, they sacked their manager and within nine months brought in Raymond Goethals, renowned for his successful tactics with Anderlecht. However, he lasted only a year, being replaced by Aimé Jacquet.

During the eighties, Bordeaux won three Ligues, two Coupes de France, and qualified several consecutive years for European competition. A comparative slide over the next ten years followed, until Bordeaux were relegated to the second division for financial reasons in the early nineties. The rebirth, however, was immediate after their flowing football not only secured immediate promotion back to Ligue 1, but meant that not so many years later, Bordeaux were a regular in European qualification which remains so to this day.

On 3 November 2009, Bordeaux qualified for the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League knockout phase for the first time when they defeated Bayern Munich away on Matchday 4 of the group stage.

In addition, in a 2010 UEFA Champions League poll at http://www.fifa.com , Bordeaux FC was selected the team with the best chance of winning 2010's UEFA Champions League.

Important dates

    * 1881–82 - Les Girondins founded.
    * 1910 - Football section created. This lasted one season and was then abandoned.
    * 1919 - A football section is recreated and les Girondins absorb the teams from l'Argus Sport and Bordeaux FC.
    * 1937 - Les Girondins turn professional.
    * 1941 - First final victory - la Coupe de France.
    * 1945 - First season in Division 1.
    * 1950 - First French champions title.
    * 1964 - First European participation (eliminated in the first round after a defeat to Borussia Dortmund).
    * 1984 - First European Champion Clubs' Cup participation, eliminated in the semi-finals by Juventus (2–3 over two legs).
    * 1987 - First double Champions Cup.
    * 1996 - First European final, defeated by Bayern Munich 1-5 over two legs.
    * 1999 - Wins French championship (Ligue 1).
    * 2009 - Wins French championship (Ligue 1).