Conor McDonald: The Student

more money to steal my players

We have achieved a lot this period, despite dropping points in a few matches. We are now set for Champions League football if we can maintain our run of form for the remaining eight fixtures.

Anything above a top four finish would mean we have achieved the club’s best league finish since winning the Ligue 1 title in 2009, which would be an astonishing achievement given the amount of change that has occurred this season.

From the end of February to the end of March, we have built up a tremendous set of performances to send us into the final two months of the Ligue 1 season.

Despite only having to face one team out of the current top five for the European qualification run-in, we do have to come up against Paris Saint-Germain who lead the top of the league by a 19-point margin and have been unbeaten all season.

However, the positive of this fixture is the timing. Our game against Paris rests in between either leg of their Champions League Quarter-Final tie with Manchester City so hopefully they will be either resting key players or tired from the match three days before.

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Tango: Maybe so

Bordeaux in March / Bordeaux in February

Tango's comment!!!! Soooo good. The results against Troyes and Nantes have killed any hope of the top-2, so 3rd is imperative or a #McDonaldOUT campaign will begin. Kavelashvili looks a great signing on loan, so hopefully he can be kept at the club for next season.

Carlo Ancelotti was denied an invincible Ligue 1 season tonight by Conor McDonald’s plucky Bordeaux team at Matmut Atlantique.

Paris’ starting eleven lined up with €900 million worth of star players including Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane and Bernardo Silva and had amassed 28 wins out of 31 games this season as they looked to beat their own 104-point record in Ligue 1.

However, they were finally beaten in a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Girondins de Bordeaux, led by English manager Conor McDonald.

The visitors had more possession, shots and passes than Bordeaux but with two goals just before half-time, the tone of the game was set for Ancelotti’s men.

Brahim Díaz’s 41st minute opener was quickly followed up by the Chelsea loanee Stéphane Pruvost just before the break as McDonald’s side went in 2-0 up at the break.

Then the Parisian onslaught came forward in the second-half as they sought at least a point from the South-West.

Bruno Guimaraes – the player with the lowest value in Paris’ squad – scored one to peg the hosts back and really put the pressure on Bordeaux’s defence.

The defence held out until the very end when a talking point arose when a 92nd minute equaliser was chalked off due to a supposed foul in the build-up spotted by VAR and acted upon by the referee.

Both managers were very complimentary of each other before the game and this continued after the game with McDonald praising Paris, claiming that their current team will go down in history as one of the best to ever grace Ligue 1 and possibly the world.

Ancelotti spoke of his opposite number’s managerial qualities as Bordeaux head into the final Champions League spot behind Lyon.

Paris Saint-Germain will now return to Champions League duty as they look to progress past the Quarter-Finals in the Second Leg against Manchester City following a scoreless draw at Parc des Princes.

Bordeaux will face the struggling Olympique de Marseille in the league next Sunday with Les Phocéens sitting in 9th place this season.

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Tango: :)) I live for these comments
James: Too right, the top two were already too far ahead even before that. A Champions League qualification spot is the target now!

you're Robin Hooding your way to the top

Get in! That's an excellent result against clearly the best team in the country. It is clear the influence Conor has had on this team and to be top three with a few games to go a real chance at Champions League football next season. Also more money coming in for some big additions in the summer to shape the squad even more into Conor's style.

Despite losing to Stade de Reims on the Ligue 1 final day, Girondins de Bordeaux have qualified for the Champions League for the first time in 17 years.

2009/10 was the last time that Bordeaux achieved a Champions League spot by winning the Ligue 1 title in 2009 but the club have not been involved in biggest continental competition in the world since.

There were concerns over whether AS Monaco would overtake Bordeaux into 3rd place on the last day, being two points behind going into their fixtures.

Stade de Reims comfortably secured all three points with a 2-1 win over Girondins de Bordeaux at Stade Auguste-Delaune but they had a lot to thank Marseille’s Oscar López for as he equalised to cancel out what would have been a winning goal from Monaco’s Christian Eriksen.

This means that Bordeaux take the final Champions League spot by a single point.

They will enter the 2026/27 Champions League tournament in the Best Placed Third Qualifying Round – two stages before the Group Stages are drawn.

The last time Bordeaux were in the Champions League, they reached the competition’s Quarter-Finals, going unbeaten in a group which included Bayern Munich and Juventus before beating Olympiacos in the Round of 16. However, they were eventually knocked out by fellow Ligue 1 team Olympique Lyonnais.

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Tango: Taking points from the rich, rather than their cash
Seb: Delighted to have confirmed that UCL spot! A superb first season.

Excellent news that! Champions League football will surely attract a greater quality of player to the club which will be better in the long run for you. Excited to see what Conor will be doing in the summer.

The magic of McDonald never ceases to amaze me. The man can work miracles and had drastically improved this side. Who knows how much longer we will have to endure the Paris Saint-Germain dominance for. I don't doubt too much longer knowing Conor.

Great win against P$G, and even better that Bordeaux will be playing Champions League football next season. Hopefully Conor can challenge for the top-2 next season, and having seen his business dealings in the transfer market before... Bordeaux are in for an incredibly enjoyable off-season!

After a great first season in charge, Conor McDonald has received an additional one-year extension on his original three-year contract at Bordeaux.

The English manager arrived at the club following a sensational Europa League campaign with his former club Cobh Ramblers in Ireland, lifting the trophy after beating RB Leipzig at Ibrox in May 2025.

After fourteen first-team signings this season at Bordeaux, he led the club to its best league finish since they won the Ligue 1 title in 2009.

Scarce few pundits would have been brave enough to pluck Bordeaux from usual mid-table obscurity in preseason and mark them out for bigger things but McDonald did exactly that by achieving European qualification.

They beat their fiercest rivals, Toulouse in both of the Garonne Derbies this year as well as being the only team to take down the champions Paris Saint-Germain all season with a 2-1 win over Ancelotti’s team.

Conor McDonald will now remain at Matmut Atlantique until at least June 2029, signing a new €23,500 per week deal at the club.

The 28-year-old is said to be ‘delighted’ at the extension and that he hopes to keep the good times coming in the South-West of France, with a clear focus on the clubs’ youth academy.

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Seb: It's a mega achievement considering the competition behind us and the start we had. Loving it.
Scott: It's a club that have really struggled to find their feet in almost two decades but now, finally they look back on track.
James: There was no competition this year and that will be seen by just how far ahead PSG were. Next season will be just as tough, be in no doubt but I think we can really shake things up!

Let's push and get the second most impressive achievement in McDonald's career

Sorry, but nothing beats winning the UEL with an Irish club

You forget just how young McDonald is. He's accomplished more than most managers and at the tender age of just 28!

First and foremost, I am delighted to be back managing a team that will be playing Champions League football next season after finishing 3rd place – the club’s highest league position since winning Ligue 1 in 2009.

April most certainly pushed us through despite that loss to Sochaux-Montbéliard after three quickfire goals from the opposition. I was delighted to hold out against Paris Saint-Germain and looking back, the result to take down an invincible team actually proved to be vital for us at the end of the season.

Into May, we started to get things wrong and I am thankful that the league campaign ended when it did as with another game or two on top and I could see us slipping down into the Europa League spots.

The end of season collapse is something that I must rid the team of before it has serious adverse effects in future.

As for now, I think it is time for celebration in a successful season.

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Tango: You may be right, though the Champions League would really cap off a marvellous career.
Scott: If you're good enough, you're old enough