With suspense until the last day, football fans, back in the stadiums, must have enjoyed this 2021-2022 vintage of Ligue 1, which ended on Saturday May 21. The Parisians have reclaimed their crown, while defending champions Lille have had a disappointing season in the league and fail in 10th place. At the back, Saint-Etienne offers itself a place in the play-offs to believe in maintenance, while Bordeaux and Metz are relegated to Ligue 2.
PSG regains its title, Losc adrift
Stung by the loss of the championship and the Champions Trophy, Paris Saint-Germain responded to Ligue 1 this season to regain their title. Mauricio Pochettino’s men largely dominated the championship and secured a tenth crown from the 34th day, thanks to a great Kylian Mbappé, decisive on 50% of Parisian goals. And if the Parisians won the title, they did not however win the hearts of their supporters, some of whom went on strike for encouragement during several meetings after the defeat against Real Madrid in the knockout stages of the Champions League, despite the recruitment of stars like Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos or Lionel Messi.
The Lille, who had deprived them of the crown of champion of France last season, were disappointed. After the departures of Christophe Galtier and Mike Maignan in particular, the Dogues struggled for a time for a European place, but their lack of efficiency has particularly handicapped them this season. Tensions also appeared off the field, with the sidelining of Hatem Ben Arfa or the bloodshed of their sports coordinator Sylvain Armand against the referee. On the bench, Jocelyn Gourvennec, who arrived during the summer, has often highlighted a good run in the Champions League, with qualification for the round of 16, but his team ends in the soft underbelly of the championship, at the 10th place.
French scorers at the party
Four French at the top of the scoring charts, this had not happened since the 2008-2009 season. This season, Kylian Mbappé, Wissam Ben Yedder, Martin Terrier and Moussa Dembélé have panicked the counters, with more than 20 goals each. The Parisian, author of a hat-trick on the last day, took care of his statistics by finishing top scorer (28) and best passer (17) in the championship.
28&17 – Kylian Mbappé becomes the first player to finish top scorer (28 goals) and top assist (17 assists) in Ligue 1 since these 2 awards were given by the LFP (2007/08). Historical. #PSGFCM pic.twitter.com/gm5R3dDPXs
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) May 21, 2022
Behind him, Wissam Ben Yedder has 25 goals, while Rennais Martin Terrier and Lyonnais Moussa Dembélé each scored 21 goals. We had to go back to the 1966-1967 season to see such an effective French quartet in front of the nets, each with at least 20 goals scored, leading the scoring charts: Hervé Revelli (31), Georges Lech (25), Daniel Rodighiero (20) and Andre Guy (20).
It’s heating up in the stands
Montpellier-OM from the first day, then Nice-Marseille, Lens-Lille, Lyon-Marseille, Angers-Marseille… This season was marked by numerous incidents in the stands, with projectiles being thrown at players, pitch invasions , the use of pyrotechnic devices, etc. The Disciplinary Committee of the Professional Football League (LFP) had to crack down and 14 of the 20 Ligue 1 clubs were thus sanctioned with fines, closures of the visitors’ area for their supporters or even a partial closed session or total. Some clubs, such as Nice, have installed anti-projectile nets, and others have innovated with portable nets, entrusted to security guards, to protect corner takers.
These sanctions ultimately cost the people of Nice particularly dearly, qualified for the Europa League conference play-offs, but who could have entered the Europa League with one more point, which was withdrawn from them following the incidents against Marseille.
The nightmare of Bordeaux, promoted resistants
After the club was taken over by Gérard Lopez last summer and the arrival of Vladimir Petkovic, former coach of Switzerland, on the bench, the Girondins de Bordeaux had great ambitions this season. But with two points taken over the first five days of Ligue 1, the Bordelais started the 2021-2022 financial year very badly. The Swiss was thanked during the season and his successor David Guion was unable to reverse the trend. With only two wins in the last 16 games, Bordeaux finished last and are also the worst defense in the five major leagues, with 91 goals conceded. A historic club is therefore leaving Ligue 1, since the Girondins have been playing in the top flight continuously since 1992.
10 – Metz are directly relegated to Ligue 2. This is the 10th time that the Lorraine club have descended to the 2nd division, equaling Strasbourg as the most often relegated club in the history of Ligue 1. Elevator. #PSGFCM pic.twitter.com/8IetLuUHTU
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) May 21, 2022
FC Metz also joined Ligue 2 and experienced relegation to the second division for the 10th time, equaling Strasbourg as the most often relegated club in Ligue 1 history. season, still have hope of saving themselves in the play-offs against AJ Auxerre. A little higher in the standings, the promoted Clermont and Troyes take advantage of the poor performances of historic clubs to stay in the elite. ESTAC notably saved itself thanks to a victory against Lille (3-0) and a draw in Paris (2-2) in the last days while the Auvergnats can savor a maintenance acquired for the first season of their club in League 1.
The beautiful game bonus for Strasbourg and Rennes
If there was a reward for the spectacle offered to its public, Stade Rennes would certainly win this season. The Bretons finished second best attack in the championship with 82 goals scored, thanks in particular to Martin Terrier, Gaëtan Laborde and Benjamin Bourigeaud. Bruno Génésio, elected best coach of the season by his peers, was also able to count on a solid bench, like Serhou Guirassy, author of the goal which offers qualification for the Europa League to his team. Stade Rennes is showing itself to be more and more regular and will therefore be competing in a European Cup for the fifth consecutive season.
If they fail at the gates of the qualifying places for Europe, the Strasbourg residents can be satisfied with having had a good season in terms of play, under the leadership of Julien Stéphan. Led by Ludovic Ajorque, Kevin Gameiro and Habib Diallo, who each have more than 10 goals, Racing have long fought for European places and finished sixth, their highest ranking since returning to the top flight in 2017.