Tag: ligue 1

On Lille, Football Shirts & Sponsors

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It changed the season I was working in the Liverpool club store, and the reaction was one of shock, to say the least. As part of the publicity push I was asked to wander around the city centre wearing the new shirt and advertising pre-sales. I was consistently accosted by fans, aghast at the new change, furious at the interloper Standard Chartered.

Just a Lille Bit About Football

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lille-france-before-great-war

It was a throwaway line from an article on the unparalleled Run of Play blog that I can remember neither the author nor subject of. The paraphrase would go along the lines of “inside the stadiums we are all from Ancient Greece.” The insinuation that nationality is set aside for municipality inside the crucible of sporting competition is one that we’ve all experienced, even if the internet has – digitally, at least – extended the boundaries of some territories.

Adventures in Ligue 1: En Avant de Guingamp

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En Avant de Guingamp is a team that has mastered the art of the cup run, electrifying fans and giving them memories to pass on to their children whilst remaining a charmingly regional outfit. In a slight deviation from regular programming, I actually spoke to a fan of the Breton club – an old friend from my Liverpool days – Liam Kelly.

Dijon FCO, Zidane & merger victims

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It seems that France really isn’t crazy about sport, certainly not year round, and the half empty stadiums I’ve been witnessing when watching the games stand in testament to that. Zizou’s projection onto a national monument was a powerful gesture; here was the son of Algerian immigrants who had made it to great heights from the roughest parts of Marseilles. A symbol for the secular post-racial republic France viewed itself as. But with a new dawn, the symbol is lost, the light from a single bulb struggling vainly to hold back the flood from a star.

Montpellier vs. Angers – Match report

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Some quick thoughts on the whole set-up before getting into the game proper. I didn’t think much of the Angers kit. It was a pretty straightforward white number with a thick black stripe down the sleeve and black cuffs. It wasn’t offensive, but looked a little drab next to Montpellier, who have orange in their colours and thus immediately look more exciting. It was, however, made by Kappa, so points for that, and the socks were excellent.

Adventures in Ligue 1 – Angers SCO

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Last season Angers SCO finished 9th in the table, but that doesn’t really tell the whole story of their campaign. Back in the top division after over two decades, the expectation was for the team to largely act as fodder for their bigger rivals, with relegation certainly not out of the equation. Instead, based on a solid defensive set-up devised by coach Stéphane Moulin, Angers spent much of the season in contention for European competition…

Adventures in Ligue 1

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The idea is to take a closer look at French football, choosing not to scale the PSG monolith, but instead searching for stories in the tattered remains of the clubs that have crashed into it. I’m looking forward to this as there’s always been a hint of Francophilia in my veins; I liked Amelie, I own several stripy sweaters and my favourite skater is Lucas Puig.

Bielsa’s Marseille – Season Review

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It was a season that promised to much for L’OM. A new manager with a temperament to match the city’s, a young, hungry and talented squad with a point to prove, and as always a fan-base that never shirks their duties in terms of producing an atmosphere. Everything started brilliantly. Somewhere along the line, though, the milk turned sour. To tell us more, here’s French football expert, Mohamed Mohamed. Follow him on Twitter at @MoeSquare.