Is the sleeping green giant finally awaking? Mired in mediocrity for most of the last few decades, Saint-Etienne seem tantalisingly close to breaking into Ligue 1’s elite. They finished the 2011/12 season in seventh, backed by a breakout year from Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyeng (18 goals all competitions), and seemed capable [...]

It was a familiar story for Rennes this season. A strong start followed by a disappointing finish. We’ve seen it all before, haven’t we? Perhaps this season more than any, however, the peaks and troughs were so dramatically apparent. Only three points were taken from the first five games which [...]

Back in the top flight after a 33-year absence, the Stade Auguste Delaune was absolutely rocking for the opening game against Marseille, and although beaten by a very good Benoit Cheyrou goal, there were positives to take for Hubert Fournier and his team. Losing the next week to Bastia must [...]

Paris Saint-Germain can reflect on a highly successful 2012/13 season after the club secured their first Ligue 1 title in 19 years, finishing a healthy 12 points clear of second-placed bitter rivals Marseille. Carlo Ancelotti’s declaration of his intent to quit the side from the capital following the confirmation of [...]

Anyone who tells you they expected this from Nice is lying. There were reasons for hope, yes – a Coupe Gambardella title, a new coach with a track record of success, and some young promise amid the usual flurry of bargain basement transfers – but no one could have guessed [...]

With virtually the last kick of the game, Yohan Mollo’s free-kick headed towards the top corner, aided by a fumble from Brest ‘keeper Alexis Thebaux, and it found the back of the net. Three valuable points on the opening day, and Jean Fernandez would have been confident that his Nancy [...]

The target set for the 2011/12 champions by Louis Nicollin looked reasonable – top six, get third in their CL group, and “pourquoi pas une petite coupe?”. The start was disappointing; the opening matches in MHSC’s debut Champions League campaign were promising – a brave defeat to Arsenal and a [...]

  After a woeful domestic campaign in 2011/12, hopes weren’t exactly high at the start of the 2012/13 season. Having stuttered to a 10th-place finish last time round, OM started the season having lost high-profile players Lucho Gonzalez, Stephane Mbia, Alou Diarra and Cesar Azpilicueta, along with club legend and [...]