While Monaco were busy announcing their massive coup in luring Porto duo Joao Moutinho and James Rodriguez to the Principality, having bounced back to the French top-flight after a two-year exile, another Ligue 1 club were securing their own coup. More understated than that of the Portuguese international or the [...]
At the risk of sounding deeply philosophical, what is ‘the soul’? Wikipedia tells us that ‘in many mythological, religious, philosophical, and psychological traditions, is the incorporeal and, in many conceptions, immortal essence of a person, living thing, or object.’ My record collection tells me it’s Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye. My head tells me [...]
The nominations for the 2013 UNFP awards have been announced today. Awards will be handed to the best player, young player, goalkeeper and manager in Ligue 1 and also the best player and manager of Ligue 2. Here are the nominees: PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG: AS Saint-Etienne, Gabones, 23-years-old, Forward ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC: Paris Saint-Germain FC, Swedish, 31-years-old, Forward BLAISE MATUIDI: Paris [...]
With the race for promotion to France’s top tier entering the final straight it seems as good a time as any to assess the runners and riders at the top of Ligue 2. With 4 games remaining for all teams (no pesky games in hand muddying the waters) it appears [...]
The scent of Ligue 1. This was how the local press was building up to the Easter Saturday top-of-the-table clash between FC Nantes and leaders AS Monaco. Looking at their histories, it is hard to argue against the pedigree of the two clubs. A shared fifteen league titles (8-7 in [...]
Welcome to the 2nd edition of Le50. This is a collection of the best young footballers currently playing in France – all the players featured were born on or after the 1st of January 1991. The French Football Weekly team have spent the last few months deliberating and voting on [...]
The Ligue 1 title race is one of, if not the, closest in European football this season, but perhaps more thrilling is the battle for promotion in France’s second tier. As many as 10 teams can at least be considered as harbouring hopes of earning a place in the top [...]
It all was going so well… Late last Saturday at the MMArena in Le Mans, and the FC Nantes players are doing laps of the pitch, warming down. The stadium is deserted, apart from 651 FC Nantes supporters. The whole thing seems like a curtain call, as each player passes the [...]