Apr
7
French Football Resurgence
Filed Under General | Leave a Comment
In past years French football had taken a bit of a nosedive, or at least it had been largely ignored in favor for the more flashy leagues like the Premiership, Serie A and La Liga. The tide is beginning to turn, however, and no I am not simply talking about Lyon and Bordeaux’s recent Champions League conquests.
It is certainly noteworthy that there are two French clubs in the quarter finals of the Champions League this year, and have a guaranteed semi-finalist for the first time in many years, but what is an even bigger plus in my opinion is how exciting the French League 1 has been this season. After Lyon’s dominance in the past few years, now it has no less than six clubs still in the hunt for the title, which is unprecedented for a European league so late in the season.
Lyon are still top of the league, but they share 1st place on equal points with Montpellier and AJ Auxerre, trailed by Olympic Marseille and Bordeaux with 1 point, and even Lille are still going strong 3 points off the top. While most bookies still give Lyon the best chance of winning the league, anything can happen when there are so many teams gunning for the top. It sets up a truly exciting finish to the season, something which you don’t see England or Spain or Italy matching any time soon. Those countries usually have a top two or three quota that has been unchanged for seasons, and the difference in money between the top clubs and everyone else is too great to be overcome.