Gareth Llewellyn-Stevens is a keen follower of Women’s football around the world. So who better to bring us an excellent preview into the start of the Women’s French Division 1 Féminine.

It seems like an eternity since Lyon won their ninth Division 1 Féminine title at the end of the 2010/2011 season, finishing unbeaten in Division 1, just three days after becoming the first French club to win the Women’s Champions League at Craven Cottage in May.

The race for second in the championship, and the second Women’s Champions League spot, last season was closely contested by Paris Saint-Germain and Montpellier, with the fixture-list selecting gods drawing them together on the final day of the season.

As if being level on points wasn’t drama enough, PSG were awarded an 88th minute penalty, which Sabrina Delannoy converted to give the Parisian club a 1-0 win to send them to knockout stages of the 2011/2012 Women’s Champions League.

Just two months later, the national team took to the sixth FIFA Women’s World Cup entirely made up of France’s top four clubs, and despite a crushing defeat to hosts Germany in the group stages, they defeated England on their way to the semi-finals, losing to eventual runners-up, and FIFA-ranked world Number 1, USA, before Sweden won the third-place play-off.

Two defeats at the sharp end of the competition was a disappointing end, but there were two positives to take away from the tournament: France qualified for the 2012 London Olympics along with Sweden and hosts Great Britain, and television ratings and interest in women’s football back in France was at the highest it has ever been.

On the back of the increasing interest in women’s football in France, the French Football Federation last month announced that 11 games will be televised this season on France 3 Régions, France 4, and Eurosport France, with production shared, and the deal worth €110,000 for the season.

That brings us nicely to the new season which begins this weekend. Lyon begin their title defence at Division 1 returnees Vendenheim with 5,000 fans expected for the game on Saturday afternoon, and while not televised, Lyon’s game against Saint-Étienne on 2 October will be.

With just 12 clubs in the league, the gulf in class between the top four and the rest of the league really is clear to see, with the big clubs able to attract a healthy amount of sponsorship to bring in some of the best players in Europe, and it would be the biggest of shocks for another club to break through this season.

Being title favourites is nothing new for Lyon, they’ve won the league for the last five seasons after all, and under the leadership of Patrice Lair, made club president Jean-Michel Aulas’ dream come true by winning the Women’s Champions League in his first season in charge.

It really is hard to look beyond a tenth title for Lyon this year, having kept their squad from last year which includes midfielders Louisa Nécib, Camille Abily, Élodie Thomis, and Sonia Bompastor who were all influential for the national team during the summer, Eugénie Le Sommer who was top goalscorer last year with 19 goals, while adding goalkeeper Céline Deville–who was part of France’s Women’s World Cup squad–from Montpellier.

Conceding just six goals in 22 league games last season, the goalkeeping department is not an area Lyon need to worry too much about with Sarah Bouhaddi, France’s finest goalkeeper, still at the club, but Deville is a solid back-up option with their ultimate aim to retain their European title.

Keen to build on last year’s second place, and competing in Europe for the first time, PSG manager Camillo Vaz has added several new players over the summer, including former Lyon and Montpellier defender Delphine Blanc, while young attacking midfielder Kenza Dali joins from Rodez.

PSG’s squad also boasts a wealth of international experience with last season’s player of the year Élise Boussaglia, and Caroline Pizzala, running the midfield, France’s current number 1 Bérangère Sapowicz, and defenders Laure Boulleau and Laure Lepailleur, but the added pressure of playing midweek European football could damage their championship credentials in the early part of the season.

Montpellier need to start strong if they are to recover from the heartache of missing out on a place in Europe on the final day of last season, and also losing the Challenge de France on penalties two weeks earlier.

They maintain a relatively young squad, but after her recent goalscoring exploits, their now not-so-secret weapon, the prolific Marie-Laure Delie remains one of their most stand-out players, with Ophélie Meilleroux offering experience at the back, Ludivine Diguelman in the midfield, and former French international striker Hoda Lattaf still capable of doing a job alongside Delie.

Sandrine Mathivet’s Juvisy, who fell in the quarter-finals of the Women’s Champions League last season to eventual finalists Turbine Potsdam, have been France’s second club in recent years since Lyon came to dominate from 2006/2007, often reaching the knockout stages of the Women’s Champions League, but slipped away at the end of last season. They will be able to focus on the championship in the second half of the season, while almost certainly Lyon and possibly PSG face further midweek trips around Europe should they make the quarter-finals.

Saint-Étienne have been by far the busiest club this summer, signing eight new players as they look to build on their Challenge de France win in May, with a view to breaking into the top four. Among ASSE’s notable signings are France U19 defender Caroline La Villa who joins from Montpellier, and attacker Rose Lavaud from Toulouse after their relegation to Division 2.

Rodez, who were newcomers to D1 last season, surprised many to finish sixth, but Franck Plenecassagne will have to cope with the loss of Blanc and Dali, and could struggle to repeat their impressive feat despite signing Toulouse midfielder Audrey Cugat and resigning goalkeeper Karima Benameur from the same club.

Yannick Ansart replaces Philippe Piette at Hénin-Beaumont, and the newcomer to women’s football has a difficult task to turn his very inexperienced squad into a team capable of holding their own against superior opposition, and more importantly being able to get points against the other mid-table clubs.

Notably more successful than its men’s club, and having won the Division 1 title in 1989, Stade Briochin announced a strange merger with En Avant Guingamp over the summer, and will now play under the Guingamp name, but the club retains the same president, players, and manager Adolphe Ogouyon. The club will continue to play at Stade Fred Aubert in Saint-Brieuc

Patrice Degironde joins Yzeure Allier Auvergne as head coach after Johnny Kari stood down. Finishing ninth last season was a major disappointment for them having finished fifth in the previous two seasons, and the Auvergne will do well to find a quick fix if they are to avoid a relegation scrap again this year.

Soyaux return to D1 with Corinne Deacon in charge after she took over from Bernadette Constantine. Deacon has already dipped into France’s huge talent pool to sign six players, three from Division 2 club Arlac Mérignac: goalkeeper Audrey Souletis, and forwards Fidelia Poussil and 17-year-old Eva Sumo.

Muret are the newcomers to France’s top flight, Majid Alliche takes charge of the Haute-Garonne club, with the very difficult task of staying in the division, and has already recruited Samantha Garberoglio and Mathilde Rieux from nearby club Toulouse.

Vendenheim returned to the top flight in emphatic fashion dropping just five points on their way to the D2 title. Again led by Dominique Steinberger, the head coach admits he cannot compete with the top teams in the division, and even many of the mid-table clubs when it comes to signings.

With an aging squad, they could struggle to get back up to speed with life in the top flight, and it really wouldn’t be a surprise to see all three promoted clubs drop back down in June. With Lyon up first for the Alsatian club, all likelihood points to a rugby score–not quite the way to start the new season, unless you’re a supporter of Lyon, of course.

As with amateur leagues in France, teams are awarded four points for a win, two points for a draw, and one point for a loss. The season runs from Saturday 3 September 2011 to Sunday 3 June 2012, with the winter break scheduled for between Sunday 11 December and Sunday 8 January.

Opening weekend fixtures:

Sat 03 Sept Vendenheim vs Lyon (STADE DE LA MEINAU, 15:00 BST)

Sun 04 Sept Hénin Beaumont vs Yzeure Allier Auvergne (STADE OCTAVE BIREMBAUT, 14:00)

Sun 04 Sept Juvisy vs Soyaux (STADE INTERDEPART ROBERT BOBIN, 14:00)

Sun 04 Sept Montpellier vs Rodez (STADE JULES RIMET, 14:00)

Sun 04 Sept Guingamp vs Muret (STADE FRED AUBERT, 14:00)

Sun 04 Sept St Étienne vs PSG (STADE FRED AUBERT, 14:00)