Portuguese club Boavista to cease operations on July 31, 2026, after financial collapse with debts exceeding €150 million

Published Jul 21, 03:21 PM UTC

Portuguese football club Boavista, founded in 1903 and a rare winner of the Primeira Liga in 2001, will cease all activities on July 31, 2026, following a financial collapse driven by debts exceeding 150 million euros. The announcement came shortly after Girondins de Bordeaux, another historic club owned by the same businessman Gerard López, was administratively relegated to the sixth tier of French football. Boavista had already been relegated to the fifth tier in 2025 and finished last. The club's stadium was put up for auction. Bordeaux, a six-time French champion and 1996 UEFA Cup finalist, has also faced severe financial troubles, including a 2022 relegation to Ligue 2 and a subsequent drop to the fourth division after renouncing professional status. The DNCG cited a 10 million euro shortfall as the final blow. Both clubs' crises are linked to López's mismanagement and broader financial issues in European football.

Content shown outside its original language is machine translated and condensed.