Surprises and phenomenon of the 2010/2011 Ligue 1 season and expectations for the next season
The 2010/2011 Ligue 1 season has probably been the most exciting season to date. Bettor.com takes a look at some of the surprises that would make the 2010/2011 Ligue 1 Season one to remember for a long time and also gives a verdict (for the 2011/2012 season)
on the teams/players mentioned below.
LOSC Lille, a new standard in the Ligue 1
The season saw LOSC Lille win the domestic title after a long wait of 54 years. Moreover, Lillois recorded a domestic double after 67 years. It was a glorious season for Les Dogues as they kept on playing a glorious brand of football that set the pace for
their long awaited Championnat triumph.
No one expected Lille to become title contenders let alone win it when the season began but Rudi Garcia’s men were not to be pushed around as they kept on picking points and impressing football pundits in http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/France-c2899.
2011/2012 verdict
The 2011/2012 Ligue 1 season would see a different Lille side to the one that did ever so well last season. Only time will tell if Les Dogues are as strong as the traditional Ligue 1 giants.
Stade Rennais’ assault at the title
Lille weren’t the only surprise package of the season. Stade Rennais pushed Lille for the Championnat for several months before finally finishing the Ligue 1 season finishing sixth in the league.
It was a great campaign for Rennes as they came really close to qualifying for the Champions League. However, coach Frederic Antonetti should be proud of how much the unfashionable club from Brittany achieved in one season.
Rennais started slipping at the turn of the New Year and as one can feel that the club might find it hard to even come close to the achievements of 2010/2011.
Monacans go down
Sadly though, Les Rouge et Blanc will now be playing in Ligue 2 next season. It was a sad sight indeed when the Monaco players acknowledged their fans in the packed Stade Louis II on the last day of the season.
2011/2012 verdict
Monaco is a big club in France and the absence of the fans from Fontvieille would be sorely missed in the 2011/2012 season. Hopefully, the Cote d’Azur-based club won't take much time in returning to top flght.
From the clutches of relegation
Auxerre surprised everyone when they qualified for UEFA Champions League after finishing third in the 2009/2010 Ligue 1 campaign. However, 2010/2011 was a different story altogether for the Burgundy club. After flirting with relegation for several months,
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Jean-c18112 Fernandez guided the club to safety and then left the club after five years of loyal service.
2011/2012 verdict
With Jean Fernandez now gone, Auxerre might not be as strong as they were in the 2009/2010 season, but the Burgundy club will definitely not come anywhere close to relegation.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Captain-c8314 fantastic
Though the former Auxerre man has now joined Lille, Benoit Pedretti was a source of inspiration for Auxerre and was Jean Fernandez’s main man as he saved the club from relegation. The feisty midfielder was the heart and soul of the side that had almost given
up all hope.
Just like what Scott Parker tried to do for West Ham this season, Pedretti took things in his hand and outshined the http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/England-c749 international by guiding Auxerre to safety. Though he has left the club, Auxerre fans will always remember Pedretti as the captain
who saved the sinking Burgundy ship.
Not the next Zidane
After his big money move from Les Girondins de Bordeaux, France International http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Yoann-Gourcuff-c37416 was expected to be the final piece of the puzzle as Lyon started the season aiming to lift the Championelle. However, things didn’t work out as Gourcuff and Lyon
expected.
The young midfielder failed to live up to his big billing (being called the next Zizou) and never really justified the sum of 22 million Euros that Les Gones paid for the 24-year-old’s services. In 25 league games, the former AC Milan man scored two goals
and provided just three assists as Lyon finished third in the league standings.
2011/2012 verdict
Gourcuff has a lot to prove next season and Remi Garde would definitely not hesitate in relegating the midfielder to the bench if he does not justify the hefty price Lyon paid Bordeaux for his services.
Definitely close to the next Zidane
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Marvin-Martin-c24496 turned out to be the revelation of the season. The Sochaux Montbéliard midfielder was the top assist provider in the Ligue 1 this season with 17 assists and also found the net three times for Les Lionceaux.
The youngster is just 23-years-old and has already shown that he can be a great player for France in the future. Watching the last 20 minutes of the recent International Friendly between http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Ukraine-c3032 and France at the Donbass Arena shows why he is being compared
to France legend Zinedine Zidane.
2011/2012 verdict
Though the 23-year-old has proven that he is a quality midfielder, he still has a lot to prove. Only time will tell if Martin stays with Les Lionceaux or not but next season would definitely be a big one for the talented midfielder.
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