It’s fair to say the decision for Gerard Lopez to speak out about his controversial Bordeaux ownership hasn’t gone down well.
The Luxembourg businessman saw the French giants administratively relegated to the fourth tier under his ownership, while his other side Boavista, have suffered an even worse fate.
Despite the massive evidence against his ability to run a football club, Lopez criticised former players for calling him out, such as French World Cup winner Bixente Lizarazu.
“Lizarazu should talk about football rather than things he doesn’t understand,” he told L’Equipe.
“I’ve put in much more than him or others who have never put in anything.
“I was there when nobody wanted to take care of the club the first time.
“Just because you played for a club and you’re a great footballer doesn’t give you the right to say whatever you want without actually doing anything or at least informing yourself.”
Lizarazu has since responded by saying: I played nine seasons at the best-managed football club in the world (Bayern, if you don’t know).
“So, of course, I can’t understand your management style and how you manage to ruin every club you buy. Kisses.”
There was a similar response to Lopez’s interview from another of France’s 1998 World Cup winners, Christophe Dugarry.
Comparing him to former Lyon president, he said: “I feel like he’s John Textor ‘s cousin.
“It’s exactly the same speech. How can this man still think people believe him? How can you say you love this club?
“A club is its fans, its former players, its current players, its employees, the people of Bordeaux… it’s all of that.
“But when you’ve laid off 90 people, when you have 400 suppliers who haven’t been paid, when you took over the club in Ligue 1 and it’s now in National 2… Well, mate, you’ve certainly distinguished yourself by your incompetence.”
Leave a Reply