© EuroFootball.com
Already this Friday (July 29), the first of the strongest European leagues, France's Ligue 1, starts, which has recently become more and more powerful and gains more and more football fans worldwide.
EuroFootball.com presents you an overview of the teams competing for the Ligue 1 title this year.
AC (14th place in 2004-2005)
Head coach: Rolland Courbis
The Corsican club strengthened in the summer by acquiring two experienced defenders: former "Nantes" and "Bordeaux" number ten Stephane Ziani and "Caen" Frederic Danjou. It is doubtful whether "Ajaccio" will compete for a spot in one of the European cup tournaments, but they certainly have the resources to stay in the top league.
AJ (8th place)
Head coach: Jacques Santini
After Guy Roux, who was at the helm of "Auxerre" for almost 44 years, retired in June, the Burgundy club invited former French national team manager Jacques Santini to the vacant position. Despite the loss of Bonaventure Kalou, who moved to "PSG," being a painful blow to last season's French Cup winners, who will also be competing in the UEFA Cup this year and aiming for a higher position in the French championship than last season.
(15th place)
Head coach: Ricardo
After a very unsuccessful season last year, "Bordeaux" significantly strengthened in the summer with a Latin American legion, acquiring Brazilian coach Ricardo, Colombian national team forward Edixon Perea, and Argentine Alejandro Alonso. Vladimir Smicer, who arrived from UEFA Champions League winners "Liverpool," will replace Camel Meriem in the tenth position. Experts predict that "Bordeaux" will compete for a spot in the UEFA Cup.
(promoted from a lower division)
Head coach: Frederic Hantz
After relegating to "Ligue 2" two years ago, "Le Mans" is returning to the big football this year, but plagued by financial problems, they may not be able to strengthen significantly and are likely to fight for survival in the top league.
RC (7th place)
Head coach: Francis Gillot
The northern French club, which is competing in the Intertoto Cup this year, can seriously challenge for a spot in next year's UEFA Cup tournament in the French championship. By maintaining the core of the team during the offseason and strengthening with Ivory Coast national team forward Aruna Dindane, "Lens" will undoubtedly be a tough nut to crack in the French championship.
(2nd place)
Head coach: Claude Puel
After unexpectedly successful last season, "Lille" will face challenges this year, especially after losing their team's defensive midfielder Christophe Landrin. Claude Puel's actions in the transfer market were also minimal, so this year "Lille," in the experts' opinion, will aim to be in the middle of the tournament table. Stadium issues will be just another headache for the French vice-champions.
(champions)
Head coach: Gerard Houllier
Four-time French champions and this year's main favorites in the fight for the "Ligue 1" champions title, "Lyon". Although the future of their defender Michael Essien, who is being pursued by London's "Chelsea," is still unclear, "Lyon" has strengthened with Norway's national team forward John Carew, who has already scored a hat-trick in the French Super Cup. Guided by former "Liverpool" manager Gerard Houllier, who replaced retired coach Paul Le Guen, "Lyon" players will seek to improve their performance in the UEFA Champions League, as in the past two seasons they were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
(5th place)
Head coach: Jean Fernandez
The biggest summer signings for "Marseille" are the "Galatasaray" goalkeeper Franck Ribery, the Milan "Inter" Sabri Lamouchi, and the Nigerian goalkeeper Wilson Oruma from "Sochaux". The Mediterranean coast club also strengthened with striker Mamadou Niang from Racing Strasbourg. Under the guidance of Jean Fernandez, who replaced Philippe Troussier as coach, "Marseille" players should perform similarly to last season, according to experts' opinions.
(16th place)
Head coach: Joel Muller
Returning to the helm of the team for the second time, Joel Muller aims to lift "Metz" into the top ten but much will depend on the form of South Korea's national team forward Ahn Jung-Hwhano. Experts predict a mid-table finish on the tournament ladder.
AS (3rd place)
Head coach: Didier Deschamps
In the summer, bolstered by two French national team defenders, Cameliu Meriem and Olivier Kapo, Didier Deschamps' players can undoubtedly be the fiercest competitors for the "Lyon" in the fight for the "Ligue 1" champions title. If Uruguayan national team striker Javier Ernesto Chevantono avoids injuries, "Monaco", whose defenders have been playing together for many years, will certainly challenge the nerves of "Lyon." Experts predict the runner-up title.
(Ligue 2 champions)
Head coach: Pablo Correa
The team that has climbed to the top division lacks experience in matches of such caliber, with only 7 team players having played in "Ligue 1," but the total number of their matches barely reaches 293. However, experts predict that the stability of "Nancy" will help the team compete successfully to remain in "Ligue 1."
(17th place)
Head coach: Serge Le Dizet
The players of "Nantes," also known as the Canaries, probably want to forget last season as soon as possible when they narrowly avoided relegation to "Ligue 2" in the last round. This year, "Nantes" promises not to repeat the mistakes of the previous season, and experienced goalkeeper Mickael Landreau, who has been a symbol of the team in recent years, should help the team.
(12th place)
Head coach: Frederic Antonetti
After a fairly successful last season, Edgar Jankausko's team is not lagging behind and actively preparing for the start of the season. "Nice" has already strengthened this summer with former "Bordeaux" defender Cyril Rool and the top scorer of last season's "Ligue 2" Bakary Kone, so experts predict that Nice's team could compete for a spot in the UEFA Europa League next season.
(9th place)
Head coach: Laurent Fournier
After an unsuccessful last season, the capital team strengthened this summer by acquiring "Milan" midfielder Vikash Dhorasoo, "Auxerre" star Bonaventure Kalou, and "Lille" player Christophe Landrin. Such a strengthening of the team means that the team will once again face immense pressure from the fans, but experts predict that if the situation develops successfully, "P.S.G" could secure a spot in the top three.
(11th place)
Head coach: Jackie Dugueperoux
The winners of the League Cup last season lost their attacking leader Mamadou Niango in the summer, so now all the burden in the attack falls on Mickael Pajo. Despite having a strong "Strasbourg" defensive line, the weak attacking line is the reason why Strasbourg's team can only compete for positions in the middle of the table.
(10th place)
Head coach: Dominique Bijotat
"Sochaux" lost two key players in the offseason - the main midfielder of the defensive line Wilson Oruma and forward Santos, so despite acquiring "Lille" midfielder Philippe Brunelli, experts predict that "Sochaux" will have to settle for a position in the middle of the tournament table.
(4th place)
Head coach: Laszlo Boloni
In the offseason, by acquiring "Lens" striker John Utaka and extending the contract with the most productive player of last season's "Ligue 1" Alexander Frey, "Rennes" now has one of the strongest attacking pairs in all of France. The team also retained Olivier Monterrubio, who made the most passes in "Ligue 1" last season, so according to experts, "Rennes" should be at the top of the tournament table this season.
(6th place)
Head coach: Elia Baup
Last season, successfully returning to "Ligue 1", the most titled team in France did not make major transfers in the offseason but retained the core of the team and acquired promising "Caen" striker Sebastien Mazure. Now experts believe that with the team unexpectedly withdrawing from the Intertoto Cup, the team can focus all their attention on performing successfully in the "Ligue 1" championship.
(13th place)
Head coach: Erick Monbaerts
"Toulouse" strengthened in the offseason by acquiring promising "Sochaux" and French youth national team defender Jeremy Mathiau and keeping Cameroonian Echile Emana. Football specialists predict that with this lineup, "Toulouse" can successfully compete for a spot in the UEFA Cup next season.
(promoted from a lower division)
Head coach: Jean-Marc Furlan
Last season, "Troyes" was the best attacking team in "Ligue 2", so forwards Daniel Gygax and Sebastien Dalletas should pose a serious threat to the defenders in "Ligue 1." Especially since the team's coach himself claims that only by playing attacking football can the Troyes team stay in the top French football division.
