France I Division

 

First Division. 2 Teams directly relegated, the 18^th going to promotion/relegation play-off against the best of second-placed teams in Second Division, still 2 points for a win. Two teams were entangled in a battle for the title, but the bitter efforts to avoid relegation involved about 8 teams. Perhaps the most bitter part of this season was the end of the ambitious project for re-vamping Racing (Paris) – it worked for a while, but only for a while.

Mulhouse – last and relegated with 28 points. Expected, to a point.

Racing (Paris) - 19^th with 30 points. It was not that much a weak squad, nor it was incapable coach – Racing was not all that bad, even reached the Cup final, but money dried up again and the project to restore once upon a time strong and well respected club failed. Perhaps Paris was indifferent to the club, preferring Paris SG. And Racing was relegated, but not to Second Division – they were relegated to third level, which clearly suggested great financial troubles, perhaps at the brink of bankruptcy. What a bitter story.

OGC Nice – lost their leading role in French football many years ago and now preoccupied only with survival. 18^th with 31 points – direct relegation was avoided, but they had to go to promotion/relegation against Strasbourg – luckily, they prevailed and remained in the top league.

Lille OSC - 17^th with 33 points.

Caen - 16^th with 34 points. Not bad for a modest club – survival was all they hoped for. A well-known in the past English striker was with them – Rix, getting old and certainly not good enough for Arsenal anymore.

St. Etienne - 15^th with 34 points. No miracles... the return of Herve Herbin at the helm was helping only to keep place in the top league. Dutch star Witschge was here, but the team was generally weak – nothing in common with the great squad Herbin marshaled to glory in the 1970s. Decline was seemingly unstoppable.

FC Metz - 14^th with 34 points.

Montpellier-Herault SC - 13^th with 34 points. Nothing special, as usual, yet, this season happened to be their best ever. A few strong players were instrumental: young Cantona and Blanc plus grizzled veterans Rust, Xuereb, Der Zakarian and Brazilian star Julio Cesar. Coached by well-known Jacquet. Enough for success in Cup format, but not for a whole long season.

Toulon - 12^th with 35 points. Presently, their coach Delio Onnis was the biggest name. There was some talent in the squad, but still too young.

AS Cannes - 11^th with 36 points. Still strangers to top-league football and perhaps not caring for more or better: Cannes had its Film Festival and all movie stars, who cares about football?

FC Brest Armorique - 10^th with 38 points. Modest club with sturdy attitude.

Toulouse - 9^th with 38 points. Soviet defender Vagiz Khidiatoulin was the bigger name in the team, which achieved curious record: from 38 games, they had 13 wins, 12 ties, 13 losses, 39-39 goal-difference, and 38 points.

Olympique Lyon - 8^th with 39 points. Trying hard to climb back from the decline, but not having yet significant squad.

Nantes - 7^th with 40 points. Apparently, trying to rebuild, but new team was not ready yet. The Yugoslav already well respected coach Blazevic had a mix of well known, but aging player – Burruchaga (Argentina), Vercauteren (Belgium), Amisse (France); current French national team regulars – Le Guen and Ouedec, and talented youngsters, who became famous eventually, but at the moment were too young – Deschamps, Henry, Kombouare.

AJ Auxerre - 6^th with 41 points. The magic of Guy Roux was already established as something constant and self-evident: Auxerrre was keeping highly competitive squad no matter who was moving to play elsewhere. And the Polish connection was maintained – Matysik. That was the secret for their success: Guy Roux and Polish imports.

Paris Saint-Germain - 5^th with 42 points. True to its own tradition: strong, but not strong enough to be really a decisive factor, expensive team full of aging stars, coached by big name. Tomislav Ivic had his Yugoslav compatriots Susic and Vujovic, the Argentine Calderon, Bats, Bravo, Bibard, Le Roux... and was entirely out of the battle for the title.

FC Sochaux-Montbeliard - 4^th with 43 points. Compared to Paris SG, Sochaux was... insignificant. Silvester Takac was good coach, but not at the level of fellow Yugoslav Ivic and he had only 2 famed players, from Yugoslavia as well: Bazdarevic and Hadzibegic. They were also a notch bellow Paris SG's Susic and Vujovic. Yet, Sochaux finished ahead of expensive Paris SG.

AS Monaco - 3^rd with 46 points. Keeping strong in their own peculiar way – not a title contenders, but got the bronze medals. Poor scorers (38 goals in 38 games), good defenders, masters of the tie (16 matches. Sure, Wenger was making his name rapidly, but Monaco was keeping only decent squad. Ettori and English stars Hoddle and Hateley were aging, but there was group of talented youngsters – Thuram, Weah, Toure. If Monaco was able – or willing – to keep them... but that was about the future.

Girondens de Bordeaux - 2^nd with 51 points. Only a year ago it looked like the strong years of Bordeaux ended, but they were back. They fought for the title, the only rival of Marseille this season, but lost it – no big deal, on the surface, but a deeper look suggests that Bordeaux was on dangerous path: to stay competitive, the club was doing patchwork – getting old players for year or two instead of building a new team. Battiston was bought before the start of the season from Monaco. Both goalkeepers were veterans well over 30-years – Dropsy and Cameroonian Bell. The West German defender Manfred Kaltz. Ayache, Thouvenel, Ferreri... All of them were yesterday's news, close to retirement. The only player for the future was Lizarazu. From this perspective, too bad Bordeaux lost the title – for it was almost certain that they were not going to be in race the next year and beyond.

Olympique Marseille prevailed over Bordeaux and won the championship with 53 points from 22 wins, 9 ties, and 7 losses. 75-34 goal-difference – attack was their main quality, scoring plenty of goals and no surprise in it, for they were captained by wonderful goalscorer at his prime – Papin. An ambitious project, based on money, and aiming at elevating Marseille to the top of not only French, but European football. And since money was not a problem – buying classy players was the answer for whatever problems emerged. If Bordeaux chose to buy old players to patch the moment, Marseille had already strong mix of old and young, foreign and domestic. Amoros was added for this season, but he, Tigana and Vercruysse were mostly for the moment – strong, famed, reliable veterans, helping those at their peak – Papin, the Brazilian national team regular Carlos Mozer, English Chris Waddle, Francescoli (Uruguay), K-H Foerster (West Germany) And along with them – young and already more than noticed Franck Sauzee, Alain Roche, Gaetan Huard, Di Meco. Second title in a row and 7^th altogether for Marseille. With big promise for more.

Sitting from left: Belly (?) - masseur, Tigana, Deschamps, Diallo, Thys, Papin, Amoros, Dr. Duby – doctor.

Middle row: Gili – coach, Vercruysse, Francescoli, Di Meco, Mura, Durand, K-H. Foerster, Bernes – administrator.

Top row: Huard, Waddle, Germain, Mozer, Roche, Sauzee, Castaneda.