The south coast of France has long since nursed their champagne hangover after Montpellier shocked the country by claiming its first Ligue 1 title.
It was a miraculous finish to a spectacular 2011-12 season, one that saw the eventual champions defying the odds to earn a place in French football history.
But with the cork about to pop on another campaign, it should be noted that a sizeable shift in power has drastically altered the very foundation of the French league. The emergence of Paris Saint-Germain as a European super club has taken shape, overshadowing the festivities and making the chances of a photo finish similar to last season unlikely.
The upcoming Ligue Un season brings with it a number of interesting narratives besides the Parisians’ anticipated dominance. Lille will try and cope to life without the services of Eden Hazard while balancing their domestic ambitions and rigours of Europe. Montpellier will attempt the unthinkable and defend their title without the fire power of a key contributor.
Marseille is primed to avenge a disastrous mid-table finish that brought with it a change in direction. Even seven-time champions Lyon is a club in transition and looking for redemption after a poor season by its relatively high standards.
One thing is certain: the French league has raised its profile and is receiving a lot of positive press. In the long run everyone benefits with the bar being significantly raised.
Relegation dog fight
All three promoted clubs will struggle to beat the drop. Bastia may be arriving onto the scene with confidence as champions of Ligue 2, but that achievement means very little in the top flight. Former Bordeaux striker Anthony Modeste headlines a relatively thin squad that also includes ex-French international Jerome Rothen.
The other Corsican club Ajaccio should suffer the same fate as their neighbouring rivals. They missed the drop to the second division by three points last season, with relegation a constant threat. A lack of depth and overall quality should see them struggle to stay afloat. Mexican international goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa is the only recognizable name from the group.
Stade de Reims is one of French football’s most decorated clubs, winners of six first division and two Coupe de France titles in their storied history. It has been 33 years since this legendary side has competed in the first division, with most of their achievements happening a half century ago. Their return looks to be short-lived.
Interestingly enough, derby rivals Troyes were also able to gain promotion, but it was due to a strong second-half finish. The club is expected to go straight back down. This inevitable realization was further amplified after the recent sale of 20 year-old right back Djibril Sidibe to Lille. The French prospect was instrumental in the team’s achievements and will be missed.
Brest will mark a third straight campaign in the top division, having narrowly escaped relegation last season. Midfielder Bruno Gourgi was the club’s statistical leader, notching nine goals and four assists. Out of the five teams that will battle it out to avoid the trap door, Brest has the slight edge and should manage to keep their Ligue 1 credentials for another year.
The race for mediocrity
Evian rather remarkably finished in the top half of the table last season, ending in ninth place. Uruguayan manager Pablo Correa was instrumental in the club’s reversal after his arrival last January, but expectations should be kept realistic with survival being the ultimate goal. Former French international Sidney Govou will spearhead Evian’s push to stay above the relegation zone.
FC Lorient is a club known more as a stepping stone and springboard for a slew of notable players. Manager Christian Gourcuff was lucky to escape the drop last season by a single point, poor away form being the culprit, as the club amassed one win from 19 road matches. The addition of veteran Ludovic Guily should help the dressing room, and the emergence of French striker Kevin Monnet-Paquet will be the difference between success and failure.
Somewhat identical in ambitions and stature, AS Nancy and Nice both are mired in mediocrity. Results have consistently improved in the table during the last four seasons for Nancy, but cracking the top ten is improbable and proven difficult after overachieving in 2008 by finishing fourth. Located on the south east coast of France, Nice may be an ideal holiday destination and great place to live, but the football club is average at best. A consistent decline in the standings was halted last year, although their inability to score goals will always hinder further progress.
One of the original founding members of the French first division, Sochaux rarely place higher than their position last season of fourteenth. French-born Algerian international Ryad Boudebouz is their prized asset that eventually will be sold to the highest bidder, a common occurrence for a club of this size and reason enough to assume a similar finish in 2013. Another club that suffers from the same affliction is Valenciennes, having only cracked the top ten once since returning back to the top flight in 2005. Manager Diego Sanchez has very little resources to mount a serious challenge and will be content on staying clear of a relegation battle.
Toulouse secured their successive eighth place finish last term, missing out on European place by only five points, a great achievement for the club. Prior to 2012, results in the table show a pattern of inconsistency, never being able to replicate or go beyond any success achieved in the previous year. Moussa Sissoko is still on the books despite being heavily linked to various clubs abroad. His presence in the squad is extremely important and a deciding factor in Toulouse’s ambition for the upcoming season.
Battle for European places
Stade Rennais is one of five current Ligue 1 sides to have kicked off the inaugural season of first division football in France 80 years ago. La Piverdiere, the team’s youth academy, is renowned for producing talent and is a source of strength that consistently replenishes the first team ranks. However, like most, they are a selling club: star midfielder Yann M’Vila will be the next likely to move abroad. Despite this unavoidable notion, les Rouges et Noirs still possess enough quality in Victor Montano and Julien Feret to challenge for Europe and attempt to better their sixth place finish last season.
Astonishingly enough for those new to the game, the most decorated club in French football is still Saint Etienne, amassing ten first division titles between 1957 and their last in 1981. But the glory days are long gone and the club has been overshadowed by the triumphs of hated rivals Lyon. Les Verts have seen a small resurgence of sorts and ended in seventh spot last season after a tenth place finish the year before. However, chances are they will finish just outside of a European place. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will hope to better his 16 goals from last term.
Defending champions Montpellier will find life to be a little more challenging without the underdog tag, taking nothing away from their amazing accomplishment last year. The sale of star striker Olivier Giroud (he led the league with 21 goals last season) will be immensely felt, leaving midfielder Younes Belhanda steady the ship with the club having to juggle their domestic ambitions and inaugural entry into the Champions League. The added matches won’t be kind to an obviously weakened side.
After surprising many by winning the title in 2009, Bordeaux has since struggled to come close to repeating the feat, finishing well behind top spot ever since. A Europa League place was only achieved on the final day. It was all down to late season push that produced six straight victories to close out the campaign, securing 38 points from a possible 57 from January onward. Les Girondins are capable of much more, despite having to maneuver through UEFA’s second-tier competition; the likes of Yoan Gouffran, Ludovic Obraniak and Jaroslav Plasil should be able to keep the team competitive and challenging on both fronts.
Marseille supporters are still trying to forget the nightmare of last season. Their domestic form was terribly inconsistent, claiming a single victory in their first ten matches before momentarily turning things around by claiming eight wins from their next ten. But three wins from their remaining18 fixtures only tightened the noose and manager Didier Deschamps was inevitably sacked in July after an embarrassing tenth place finish. Lifting the Coupe de la Ligue granted them entry into the Europa League, but it was bitter sweet. Elie Baup has taken over the managerial reins and a new system might take a little time to settle amongst the group. However, a change was needed. L’OM should be challenging for a top four place in 2013.
It has been four years since Lyon was crowned champions of France, ending a seven year monopoly of the country’s top prize. In that time the title has been won by a four different clubs. Last season, Les Gones finished ten points adrift of a spot in the Champions League, something they’ve grown accustomed to and slightly took for granted. The Europa League has become their consolation prize. Despite being in transition, the future looks bright with a couple of prospects rising up into the first team picture. Forward Alexandre Lacazette and defensive midfielder Gueida Fofana are both poised to become regulars this season, adding more depth a talented group of players. Given the new climate, a title challenge will be tough, but a close second is within reach.
Surprisingly, Lille is in the best position to compete for the crown in the not so distant future. Manager Rudi Garcia saw his side suffer a slight dip by finishing third last season after winning the league title in 2011. They did manage to secure a lucrative spot in the Champions League which will provide the club with extra revenue needed to compete in this new environment of French football. A solid infrastructure is already in place, combined with a squad rich in quality — les Dogues will pose a genuine threat down the road. At the moment, they will duke it out for second-best and hope to stay within striking distance of the super club hailing from the French capital. The addition and experience of Salomon Kalou only heightens the squad depth, and up and coming striker Nolan Roux is intent on finally making his mark in the top flight after joining from Brest mid-season.
Title chasers
There is a clear reason why Paris Saint-Germain is in a class above the rest and vastly superior to the trailing pack: unlimited funds. Little over a year under new ownership and over 200 million euros spent, PSG’s odds of falling short a second time is highly unlikely. The Parisians missed out on their first league title in 18 years by a mere three points, a result club director of football Leonardo has made sure will not be repeated through three key acquisitions. Ezequiel Lavezzi was the first player bought this summer, followed closely by the double capture of Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic from AC Milan.
The gap has widened considerably in the off-season, as the French capital has now become hard to resist. Spending will be reduced progressively to stay within the rules and regulations of financial fair play, but PSG’s revenue stream will only increase as a result of their investments on the field and inevitable success that follows. It is hard to fathom anything other PSG cruising to their third French title.