The return of Ligue Un?

credit- MUSTAPHA ENNAIMI via VarsityUK

Also published for Varsity

Ligue Un has taken its fair share of derision in recent times. Fears of Paris Saint-Germain hoarding the title for the foreseeable future was feared to be a very real, and very probable prospect. With four consecutive championship wins in the last four years, two consecutive domestic quadruples, and last season witnessing Les Parisiens secure the title by a staggering 31-point margin, it’s not hard to see why.

But the 2016-2017 campaign has proven to be a breath of fresh air, and not necessarily because PSG have declined. Laurent Blanc left the club at the end of last season to be replaced by serial Europa-League winner Unai Emery, and as with any change, it took a while for the side to adapt. But, after 35 games this season, they have still amassed 80 points. A strong return with three games to play – if only it wasn’t for Leonardo Jardim’s young and talented Monaco side.

Monaco have taken France and Europe by storm. Jardim’s audacious, vibrant and free-flowing attacking football has seen Les Monégasques net a stunning 95 goals this season with four games to play. Their star names, including Bernado Silva, Thomas Lemar, Tiemoué Bakayoko and above all Kylian Mbappé, are all set to be hotly pursued by the continent’s elite clubs this summer.

Their stunning Champions League run, which saw them reach their first Champions League semi-final since 2004, saw the Principality side defeat Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur before being felled by Allegri’s impressive Juventus outfit.

Monaco were not the only young, exciting French side making waves in Europe this season. Lyon, led by Bruno Génésio, also made the semi-final of the Europa League. Despite a late rally against young prodigies Ajax, some naïve defending ultimately cost Les Gones from a shot at their first European title.

That semi-final was Lyon’s first European last-four appearance since they reached the Champions League semi-finals back in 2010. To underline the dearth of European quality emanating from France in the past decade, that semi-final was the only time a side from Ligue Un have managed to make it to the last four in either of Europe’s premier competitions for the past 13 years.

Notwithstanding Lyon and Monaco’s misfortune in the last four of their respective competitions, it has undoubtedly been a very good year for French football. In Europe, they can boast two semi-finalists as well as lay claim to a demolition of tournament heavyweights Barcelona, whilst domestically the title race was blown wide open not only by Monaco but also by Nice, who led the division for much of the season. Despite all of this, next year could well be even better.

Competition domestically looks set to ramp up again next term. Whilst both PSG and Monaco are well known to have rich investors behind them, Marseille too are now poised to join the mega-rich club going into the new season following American billionaire John McCourt’s takeover of the club last October.

McCourt, speaking after his takeover, told L’Équipe that he intends to invest €200 million over the next four years, saying “"My number one goal is to win Ligue 1; the second is to win the title more often than we don't; and the third is to win the Champions League”.

After years of disappointment, and even flirtation with relegation following a disastrous campaign last year, OM, fresh from finally upgrading the Stade Vélodrome, look set to pose a significant threat to both PSG and Monaco. With the acquisition of Dimitri Payet in January for a reported £25 million, it appears as though McCourt is willing to put his money where his mouth is.

Marseille are not the only team with ambitions to compete at the summit of French football. Lille also look set to enjoy their own renaissance, following the arrival of new owner Gérard Lopez in January of this year. A month after completing his purchase, the venture capitalist made a bold statement of intent by appointing controversial but highly reputable coach Marcelo Bielsa as LOSC’s manager for the 2017-2018 campaign. Bielsa will be joined by executives Marc Ingla and Luis Campos, the latter being the man responsible for bringing both Benjamin Mendy and Tiemoue Bakayoko to Monaco.

Lopez has expressed his determination to bring success to the Grand Stade Métropole. The French club, who currently sit 11^th in Ligue Un, last tasted success back 2011 when they won the double courtesy of a squad that boasted the likes of Eden Hazard, Adil Rami and Yohan Cabaye. In Bielsa, Les Dogues have an elite coach who was once described by Pep Guardiola as the “best in the world”, and is able to count former Chile and Sevilla manager Jorge Sampaoli and Mauricio Pochettino amongst those influenced by his methods.

Whilst both Marseille and Lille are expected to bolster their squads this summer, the opposite is expected of this season’s European adventurers Lyon and Monaco. Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette, their top scorer with 30 goals from 39 appearances this season, told UEFA.com earlier this week that he intends to “go for a breath of fresh air and try something different, always with the idea of progressing in football and as a person” this summer. Monaco, meanwhile, are widely expected to lose some of their star players before next season as interest mounts following what has been an historic season for the club from the Principality. Kylian Mbappé, for one, is linked with clubs including Real Madrid and Manchester United.

However, both clubs are more than well equipped to deal with transfer intrigue. Both possess the financial firepower to push potential suitors to the limit which they did not possess in the past; Lacazette saw bids turned from suitors turned down last summer for fees rumoured to be above £40 million, whilst Club President Jean-Michel Aulas has recently gone on record to say that the club is financially well structured enough to compete among Europe’s top ten clubs. Monaco, meanwhile, have sold key players including Anthony Martial, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Layvin Kurzawa and Lucas Ocampos over the past two seasons. They haven’t fared too badly since.

Lyon and Monaco, even if they do sell, will be well placed to reinvest in their playing squads, and complement academy structures that have revolutionised their sides’ performances. Of the 11 that started Lyon’s 2-1 first leg victory over Besiktas in the Europa League quarter finals last month, six were academy graduates.

Added to this mixture of course is Paris Saint-Germain, who will be more determined than ever to reassert their dominance following this season’s challenge from Monaco. With a squad already shown to be capable of embarrassing the mighty Barcelona, it is surely only a matter of time before they go further in European competition, and there can be little doubting their title credentials for next term. Nice too must not be discounted, for they have also invested heavily in their club infrastructure, with a state-of-the-art new training ground for both the academy and first team set to open later this year.

All of this bodes well for the future of Ligue Un. A league beleaguered with accusations of poor quality, poor investment and a knack of producing stars but an inability to keep its best talent has already begun to silence its critics, and may now begin to restore its reputation as one of Europe’s most reputable divisions.

With improving squads and a more competitive domestic league, Lyon and Monaco’s perceived over-achievement this season may well become the European norm in years to come.