The French Riviera
We could talk at length about the capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, but OM has nothing left to prove to anyone about the level of whatever of its season. In just over two hours by car from the Vieux-Port, the two neighbors Nice and Monaco have made sure to compete in their own way. The Gym expects to have two stifling weeks, between a Coupe de France final that looks like a big gap against Lens and a stressful double confrontation against Saint-Étienne to avoid sinking into the second division for the first time since the beginning of the century (2001-2002, for the oldest among us). And 1997, does that ring a bell for you?
The Monegasques don’t really feel like making fun of their Niçois neighbors either: the season of ASM has been insignificant and, as usual, no one cares. The fans of the Principality will be even more against Nice on Friday evening, hoping to see Lens offer them the Conference League as a consolation prize next season. However, this year will be forgotten and one wonders what Sebastien Pocognoli’s team could look like, if the Belgian does not move. At least it’s the end of the weekly saga around Paul Pogba’s health.
The Virtuous Multiproprietorship of Strasbourg
We were going to see what we were going to see, Racing was going to show us what good and virtuous multiproprietorship was, the one that no one dared to imagine, the one that was supposed to inspire the whole world. After spending nearly 130 million euros last year, quietly, Strasbourg arrived at the finish line without a Coupe de France final, without a Conference League final, and without European competition next season. Without Liam Rosenior either, as the English genius had set sail for Chelsea this winter (from where he was inevitably fired). The Alsatian team sometimes offered some football, like this Sunday to end, and they had the merit of introducing us to the adorable Joaquín Panichelli, but in the end, it’s a failure. And perhaps it’s better that way.
Penalties
Eleven meters. That’s what separates the goal line from the penalty spot. A child’s play for people for whom football is a profession and bread and butter, right? Everyone knows it: no. This season in Ligue 1, our favorite artists missed…
The Kita for their Work
Curtain call for the Kita Circus in Ligue 1. Three coaches, five small victories in 33 matches, and a relegation that nobody could really prevent, not even Vahid Halilhodžić. As a grand finale, Vahid clashed with the fans during the pitch invasion against Toulouse, and the Kitas were nowhere to be found for the last match of the era in Ligue 1. Class until the end. Four years that the Canaries were flirting with the abyss. This time, they jumped in. A season without any semblance of hope, with players caught between a completely outdated management and stands at the end of their patience. All to land on the worst season in the club’s history in terms of points. The third relegation to Ligue 2 for FCN, and probably the most visible of all. They won’t even have the heart to mock the Rennes team who, once again, missed the mark for the podium after dishing out hefty salaries left and right. Everyone has their struggles.
The Ligue 1 Trophy Presentation
Three minutes. That’s how long it took to celebrate a whole Ligue 1 season. Three short minutes, as if lifting a French championship title had become as commonplace as a graduation ceremony for elementary school. For PSG, it’s almost true: winning the championship is now as surprising as the sunrise. But still, hosting it at the Jean-Bouin stadium, ten meters away from the Parc des Princes, is the kind of decision that makes you wonder about the state of the LFP, which also torpedoed the title race by moving the Lens-PSG match of the 29th round. Congratulations and thanks for everything.
Relive the last Ligue 1 matchday
