Liverpool cult hero terminates contract after FSG takeover talks collapse

A Liverpool cult hero has terminated his contract at French side Bordeaux after takeover talks between the club and Fenway Sports Group ( FSG ) collapsed in recent days.

The former Ligue 1 club have spent the last two seasons in Ligue 2 following relegation at the end of the 2021-22 campaign, having entered administration due to financial struggles, and have now been demoted to the third tier of French football by the National Directorate of Management Control due to financial concerns.

The six-times French champions have since filed for bankruptcy after Liverpool's owner withdrew from takeover talks last week , effectively ending the club’s survival hopes, and given up its status as a professional club following years of financial mismanagement.

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And following the news that the club has also closed its renowned training academy and terminated its players' contracts, its manager has become the latest to resign following the heartbreaking demise of one of the most successful football clubs in France.

That manager just happens to be former Liverpool favorite Albert Riera, who had only returned to the French side in October after taking over from David Guion in the hotseat. The Spaniard guided Bordeaux to a 12th-placed finish in Ligue 2 last season, finishing nine points outside the promotion play-offs.

Yet despite also finishing nine points above the relegation places, Bordeaux has been relegated to the Championnat National. In a press release, the club stated that it will still be promoting their youth academies, and hoping they can get back to Ligue 1 with "sound finances and a renewed ambition".

Already, however, Riera has moved onto pastures new following the termination of his contract, taking over at another of his former sides, Celje, having only left his managerial role at the Slovenian top-tier side back in October.

After being unveiled as the club's new manager two days before the start of last season, Riera went on to win 11 of his first 17 games. 12 months later, he will hope to pick up from where he left off and target a second Slovenian PrvaLiga title of his career.

The 42-year-old achieved the league and cup double with fellow top-tier side Olimpija Ljubljana in 2022-23 in what was his first year in professional management, winning 30 out of 46 games in charge of The Dragons between July 2022 and May 2023.