Ligue 1 2014/2015: Your Guide to the Season Ahead Get French Football News A Note from the Editor: From Copacabana beach to the Stade Auguste Delaune: Ligue 1 kicks off again on the 8th of August when Reims host back-to-back champions Paris Saint Germain in the first encounter of the new season. The summer brought with it one of the most wholesome World Cups in recent history, where Ligue 1 stars both thrived and blossomed. Whether you were marveling at David Ospina or Guillermo Ochoa between the sticks, noting the potential of Serge Aurier or appreciating the sheer brilliance of James Rodriguez, it seemed that wherever one turned; the spirit of France’s top flight was being embodied by some of its most emblematic characters. While the majority of the aforementioned stars will undoubtedly move on this summer, Ligue 1 is not standing still. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is ready to lead PSG to Champions League glory, regardless of the supposed limitations that Financial Fair Play regulations have imposed on the Ligue 1 champions. The seasonal managerial merry-go-round has gone some way to reshuffling the pack and Willy Sagnol, Marcelo Bielsa, Hubert Fournier, Claude Makélélé, Leonardo Jardim and Jean Luc Vasseur have all been handed fresh starts at various outfits. A new campaign brings with it three new sides. Ligue 1 welcomes back an eclectic bunch of former stalwarts with open arms in Metz, Caen and Lens. The latter club had the last laugh during a summer that may well be remembered for the administrative headaches that the French football watchdog the DNCG were causing, initially refusing Antoine Kombouaré’s men entry into France’s top flight. The quest for continental football this season is expected to be tougher, with the prospect of a rejuvenated Marseille side after the injection of South American work ethic and style under the new, Bielsa-led regime. As always, there is so much more to enjoy than just the race at the top. Philippe Montanier’s Rennes have undergone a remarkable squad overhaul, Lorient continue to recruit intelligently and RC Lens will be hoping that they can make 2014/15 a comeback to remember with the backing of Azerbaijani mogul Hafiz Mammadov set to eventually bring even more foreign investment to this rapidly growing league. There is always uncertainty at the start of a season, but I cannot help but feel all the more excited by the sheer amount of unanswered questions: How will PSG’s Brazilian centre-back pairing fare? Are Monaco about to fall apart? Can St Étienne and Lille occupy the rest of the top four again or will Bielsa work his magic for Marseille? What of the quiet Hubert Fournier at OL? Buckle up; we’re in for a hell of a season. It’s time to take Ligue 1 seriously. Christian Nourry, Get French Football News. AS Monaco: Squad List Name Position Nationality Age At Club Since Former Club Marc Aurele Caillard GK French 20 2013/2014 - Danjiel Subasic GK Croatian 29 2011/2012 Hajduk Split Seydou Sy GK Senegalese 18 2014/2015 AC Milan Martin Sourzac GK French 22 2012/2013 - Layvin Kurzawa LB French 21 2010/2011 - Elderson Echiejile LB Nigerian 26 2013/2014 Sporting Braga Ricardo Carvalho CB Portuguese 36 2013/2014 Real Madrid Aymen Abdennour CB Tunisian 24 2014/2015 Toulouse FC Andrea Raggi CB Italian 30 2012/2013 Bologna Borja Lopez CB Spanish 20 2013/2014 Sporting Gijon Jeremy Labor CB/RB French 22 2012/2013 - Fabinho* RB Brazilian 20 2013/2014 Rio Ave Abdou Diallo RB French 18 2014/2015 - Jerome Phojo RB French 21 2012/2013 - Geoffrey Kondogbia DM French 21 2013/2014 Sevilla FC Tiémoué Bakayoko DM French 19 2014/2015 Stade Rennais Jeremy Toulalan CM French 30 2013/2014 Malaga Anthony de Freitas CM French 20 2014/2015 - Joao Moutinho CM Portuguese 27 2013/2014 FC Porto Morgan Kamin CM French 20 2014/2015 - Aadil Assana CM French 21 2012/2013 - Lucas Ocampos AM/LW Argentinian 20 2012/2013 River Plate Yannick Ferreira Carrasco LW/RW Portuguese 19 2012/2013 - Nabil Dirar RW Moroccan 27 2011/2012 FC Bruges Dimitar Berbatov ST Bulgarian 33 2013/2014 Fulham FC Valere Germain ST French 24 2011/2012 - Falcao ST Colombian 28 2013/2014 Atletico Madrid Anthony Martial ST French 18 2013/2014 Olympique Lyonnais Gaetano Monachello ST Italian 20 2013/2014 Olympiakos Nicosia Edgar Salli ST Cameroonian 21 2011/2012 - Lacina Traore ST Ivorian 24 2013/2014 Anzhi Leonardo Jardim Manager Portuguese 40 2012/2013 Sporting Lisbon Dimitri Rybolovlev President Russian 47 2011/2012 - *Fabinho is on a season long loan from Rio Ave AS Monaco: Form Guide Season Division Position Points Top Goalscorer 2013/2014 Ligue 1 2nd 80 Emmanuel Riviere (10) 2012/2013 Ligue 2 1st 76 Ibrahima Toure (18) 2011/2012 Ligue 2 8th 52 Ibrahima Toure (10) 2010/2011 Ligue 1 18th 44 Chung Yung Park (12) 2009/2010 Ligue 1 8th 55 Nene (14) AS Monaco: Likely XI AS Monaco: Squad Analysis A new season and a new manager for AS Monaco. They entered the 2013/2014 campaign confident that they could ruffle Paris Saint Germain’s feathers sufficiently in order to make the Ligue 1 title race at least interesting. Unfortunately, they were wrong in that department, but they did display efficient football under Claudio Ranieri where James Rodriguez notably shone. Not to mention the fact that they obtained their record ever points total in Ligue 1 and qualified for the Champions League. Somehow, that did not appear to be enough for a disgruntled board at the end of last season and Ranieri was duly dismissed. The Monegasques were linked with Zinedine Zidane and got the less known Leonardo Jardim instead, with the aim being to play more attractive football than under their previous Italian coach. Despite the high-profile departure of James Rodriguez to Real Madrid the side remains quietly confident. Strengths: ASM may have lost a world class player, but there are certainly more than a few that remain who will continue to grace the Stade Louis II with their presence this campaign. The prospect of the experienced heads of Falcao and Dimitar Berbatov combining with unstoppable young talent in the form of Anthony Martial and Lucas Ocampos truly indicates the attacking potential that Jardim has at his disposal. Combine this with the rearguard action that Jeremy Toulalan provides and the energy and dynamism of Geoffrey Kondogbia alongside the creativity of Joao Moutinho, and you have an excellent case for the most potent combined midfield base and attack force in the league and one that the rest of Europe will certainly fear. Weaknesses: The fact that Ricardo Carvalho remains a central figure in the defence at the age of 36 suggests that more investment is needed before the transfer window is up. The addition of the steely Aymen Abdennour and the departure of Eric Abidal will help, but one questions whether the Moroccan can make up for his Portuguese partner’s lack of pace. With Nicolas Isimat Mirin most probably on his way out, they have simply no depth in terms of central defensive options. Goalkeeper Danjiel Subasic proved his quality last season, but the fullback combination of Layvin Kurzawa and Fabinho, however exciting it might be, remains inexperienced and one worries about how they will fare against established Champions League opposition. Key Man: Falcao Falcao’s 2013/2014 season with AS Monaco was one to forget and is the sole reason why he is spending another campaign with the Ligue 1 side: nobody was willing to take him in Spain or England. The Colombian was unlucky to receive a long-term injury during a Coupe de France match in January, but often cut a forlorn and frustrated figure on the pitch for Claudio Ranieri. He needs to find sufficient drive and passion to unearth his goal scoring form again in order to put his career back on track. Verdict: The sale of James Rodriguez showed that AS Monaco’s “big club” attitude is partially for show and that they are happy to sell their best players in order to recoup fees. The feeling that money is no object for the club has certainly dissipated following this summer’s events. The appointment of a more low-profile coach in Leonardo Jardim certainly comes with its own advantages, and the club’s pre-season has been undeniably encouraging. The genius in ASM’s squad simply cannot be ignored and they should repeat last season’s performance. 2nd AS Saint Etienne: Squad List Name Position Nationality Age At Club Since Former Club Stephane Ruffier GK French 27 2011/2012 AS Monaco Jessy Moulin GK French 28 2011/2012 - Baptiste Valette GK French 21 2013/2014 Montpellier HSC Jonathan Brison LB French 31 2011/2012 AS Nancy Lorraine Florentin Pogba LB French 23 2012/2013 Sedan Paul Baysse CB French 26 2013/2014 Stade Brestois 29 Loic Perrin CB French 28 2003/2004 - Moustapha Sall CB Senegalese 28 2011/2012 US Goree Francois Clerc RB French 31 2012/2013 OGC Nice Ismael Diomande DM Ivorian 21 2012/2013 - Jeremy Clement CM French 29 2011/2012 PSG Renaud Cohade CM French 29 2012/2013 Valenciennes FC Fabien Lemoine CM French 27 2011/2012 Stade Rennais Benjamin Corgnet AM French 27 2013/2014 FC Lorient Franck Tabanou LW French 25 2013/2014 Toulouse FC Max Gradel LW Ivorian 26 2011/2012 Leeds United Romain Hamouma RW French 27 2012/2013 SM Caen Kevin Monnet-Paquet RW/LW French 25 2014/2015 FC Lorient Allan Saint-Maximin RW French 17 2013/2014 - Mevlut Erding ST Turkish 27 2013/2014 - Christophe Galtier Manager French 47 2009/2010 Aris Salonika Bernard Caiazzo President French 60 2009/2010 - Roland Romeyer President French 68 2010/2011 - AS Saint Etienne: Form Guide Season Division Position Points Top Goalscorer 2013/2014 Ligue 1 4th 69 Romain Hamouma (9) 2012/2013 Ligue 1 5th 63 Pierre Emerick Aubameyang (19) 2011/2012 Ligue 1 7th 57 Pierre Emerick Aubameyang (16) 2010/2011 Ligue 1 10th 49 Dimitri Payet (13) 2009/2010 Ligue 1 17th 40 Emmanuel Riviere (8) AS Saint Etienne: Likely XI AS Saint Etienne: Squad Analysis After the departure of talismanic forward Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang away from Les Verts last summer, nobody quite believed that they would be able to maintain their claim for a top six finish over the course of 2013/14.