Of the 24 teams still in contention in the three European competitions, Italy have six, England four, Belgium, Spain and Germany two, while France have only one representative left , tied with Switzerland and Poland. OGC Nice carries on its shoulders the last hopes of a Ligue 1 which has seen its teams fall with panache on the continental scene. The name of the five major championships, anchored in customs for many years, has undoubtedly become too generous for France.
Year after year, the failures accumulate for a championship which has not won anything in the big leagues since 1996 and the victory of Paris Saint-Germain against Rapid Vienne in the Coupe des Coupes. Twenty-seven years after Bruno Ngotty’s formidable free kick, Ligue 1 is still waiting for an heir…
This season again, disappointments have sprung up at every turn. Olympique de Marseille initially finished last in their Champions League group after a stunning final scenario against Tottenham. For its part, PSG once again disappointed by being logically swept away by Bayern Munich. Although he has been a key driver in recent years, notably reaching the final of the Big Ears Cup in 2020 in Final 8, his ambitions go far beyond a simple elimination in the round of 16. However, inviting Kim Kardashian to the Parc des Princes seems to be of more interest to Parisian leaders today!
Great to welcome special guest @KimKardashian to the Parc des Princes today!
Regarding the Europa League, fortunes have not been happier. After a good run and after resisting the first leg, FC Nantes ended up giving in to Juventus led by a great Angel Di Maria. If the logic was respected here, we have more trouble with the eliminations of AS Monaco and Stade Rennes on penalties. The club from the principality fell against the 10th in the Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen, after being largely dominated in both matches. Concerning Stade Rennes, their adversary, Shakhtar Donetsk, had not played an official match for two months due to the winter break in Ukraine. It stains well…
And yet it is a huge paradox, as Ligue 1 is so interesting this season with spectacle every day and teams that display player intentions. But, while the weekend promises are there, the midweek delivery is much more complicated for our clubs. “France is now playing in the European second division, we shouldn’t be afraid to say it”, even declared the president of the LFP, Vincent Labrune, during a conference last October.
Due to disappointment, the famous Talent League sees its fifth place in great danger in the UEFA index. This position is crucial in the near future since with the reform of the Champions League, for the 2024-2025 season, this fifth place offers four direct tickets for the prestigious C1. Portugal and the Netherlands are on the lookout for this prize of war which would constitute an undeniable advantage in growing their first division. Over the last five seasons, France have pocketed 60,997 points, the Dutch 58,900 points and the Portuguese 55,882 points. Ligue 1 is playing with fire and inevitably all eyes will be on the Côte d’Azur. The Nice and Didier Digard probably did not expect to have to assume such a responsibility, before facing FC Basel in the quarter-finals of the modest Conference League.
