Gernot Rohr: Relegation Disastrous For Samuel Kalu’s Bordeaux

Less Girondins have endured a frustrating campaign, and it could still end in demotion to the lower league

Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr has urged Girondins Bordeaux to try everything in their power to avoid getting relegated as going down to Ligue 2 could be disastrous for the club.

A former player and coach at Bordeaux, Rohr has never denied his connection and affection to the French side, which he guided to the UEFA Cup final in 1996, where they lost to Bayern Munich.

Those giddy heights are rare at the Matmut Atlantique these days, with the Ligue 1 side last lifting any major title – Coupe de France – eight years ago.

Buoyed by Samuel Kalu's solitary strike in 20 league games, Bordeaux managed to finish 12th in Ligue 1 last term despite the premature end to the campaign caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Nigerian international has increased his output to four goals in 18 Ligue 1 matches this season. Still, it has not helped Les Girondins rise above 16th on the table, a mere five points adrift the relegation zone.

Jean-Louis Gasset's men have not won any of their last four matches, and if they don't break out of that terrible run could be pulled closer to the drop zone.

And ex-club manager Rohr can't bear to think of such eventuality.

“Going down to Ligue 2 would be catastrophic,” the Nigerian national team boss said, as per Girondins4Ever.

“I had done it. We had been demoted administratively. We must avoid that today because I do not see how we could rely on the same values ​​as at the time. I think it would be very complicated to get over it.

“We must avoid that at all costs. Today, it's not the same. You no longer have the young players that I had at the time. It comes all over the place at the training center. We no longer have the Basques. We no longer have the Landes, the Bordelais, who were there to fight for a club that they really like.”

Bordeaux lost at the Matmut Atlantique to Monaco at the weekend but have a chance to secure a much-needed win when they make the trip to face fellow strugglers Lorient on Saturday.