Dubai Telegraph - Historic French duo in fight for Ligue 1 survival

EUR -
AED 3.879921
AFN 70.774705
ALL 97.658441
AMD 409.488241
ANG 1.905213
AOA 963.376768
ARS 1054.320885
AUD 1.627536
AWG 1.901401
AZN 1.801486
BAM 1.943481
BBD 2.134372
BDT 126.319293
BGN 1.9558
BHD 0.398119
BIF 3061.256379
BMD 1.056334
BND 1.412811
BOB 7.304697
BRL 6.133815
BSD 1.057139
BTN 89.15023
BWP 14.343757
BYN 3.459372
BYR 20704.14942
BZD 2.130774
CAD 1.478319
CDF 3026.39715
CHF 0.935785
CLF 0.037514
CLP 1035.112444
CNY 7.631383
CNH 7.652882
COP 4731.320676
CRC 539.798787
CUC 1.056334
CUP 27.992855
CVE 110.756993
CZK 25.285045
DJF 187.73139
DKK 7.458754
DOP 63.776161
DZD 141.547711
EGP 52.10252
ERN 15.845012
ETB 128.925753
FJD 2.399199
FKP 0.831283
GBP 0.831356
GEL 2.884081
GGP 0.831283
GHS 17.012698
GIP 0.831283
GMD 74.999517
GNF 9116.163919
GTQ 8.168224
GYD 221.158132
HKD 8.219706
HNL 26.472039
HRK 7.535367
HTG 138.99552
HUF 407.89813
IDR 16738.565373
ILS 3.965716
IMP 0.831283
INR 89.179585
IQD 1384.325909
IRR 44463.742746
ISK 147.284729
JEP 0.831283
JMD 167.357086
JOD 0.749047
JPY 164.334965
KES 136.790508
KGS 91.061436
KHR 4278.153377
KMF 492.621303
KPW 950.700505
KRW 1481.899804
KWD 0.324971
KYD 0.880916
KZT 521.017397
LAK 23181.253406
LBP 94594.723681
LKR 308.961568
LRD 194.36531
LSL 19.278261
LTL 3.11908
LVL 0.638966
LYD 5.144042
MAD 10.518957
MDL 19.048258
MGA 4917.235703
MKD 61.531456
MMK 3430.932127
MNT 3589.423527
MOP 8.469315
MRU 42.121293
MUR 49.531301
MVR 16.320345
MWK 1833.795702
MXN 21.69129
MYR 4.711444
MZN 67.498546
NAD 19.277515
NGN 1771.95785
NIO 38.851914
NOK 11.767666
NPR 142.642227
NZD 1.796592
OMR 0.406667
PAB 1.057099
PEN 4.016129
PGK 4.156411
PHP 62.152628
PKR 293.713639
PLN 4.341243
PYG 8250.095155
QAR 3.845638
RON 4.975967
RSD 116.975311
RUB 104.047459
RWF 1441.89612
SAR 3.969228
SBD 8.855836
SCR 14.40717
SDG 635.387436
SEK 11.603515
SGD 1.418836
SHP 0.831283
SLE 24.100276
SLL 22150.800682
SOS 603.695541
SRD 37.267363
STD 21863.98426
SVC 9.24937
SYP 2654.071001
SZL 19.278362
THB 36.91096
TJS 11.263007
TMT 3.707733
TND 3.32481
TOP 2.474044
TRY 36.2854
TTD 7.183466
TWD 34.278574
TZS 2809.848602
UAH 43.672836
UGX 3879.409365
USD 1.056334
UYU 44.567497
UZS 13547.485199
VES 47.531547
VND 26772.789136
VUV 125.410144
WST 2.954552
XAF 651.855898
XAG 0.034887
XAU 0.000411
XCD 2.854796
XDR 0.796378
XOF 651.239726
XPF 119.331742
YER 263.875515
ZAR 19.259818
ZMK 9508.281216
ZMW 28.91707
ZWL 340.139167
  • CMSC

    0.0700

    24.61

    +0.28%

  • SCS

    -0.3000

    13.37

    -2.24%

  • BCC

    1.4200

    142.55

    +1%

  • RBGPF

    -0.8500

    59.34

    -1.43%

  • CMSD

    -0.0200

    24.73

    -0.08%

  • NGG

    -0.7800

    62.12

    -1.26%

  • RIO

    -0.5800

    60.62

    -0.96%

  • JRI

    0.0200

    13.24

    +0.15%

  • BCE

    -0.4800

    27.21

    -1.76%

  • GSK

    -0.4100

    35.11

    -1.17%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0500

    7.11

    -0.7%

  • BTI

    0.1800

    35.42

    +0.51%

  • AZN

    0.1000

    65.29

    +0.15%

  • BP

    0.4100

    28.57

    +1.44%

  • RELX

    -0.4700

    46.12

    -1.02%

  • VOD

    0.2800

    8.75

    +3.2%

Historic French duo in fight for Ligue 1 survival
Historic French duo in fight for Ligue 1 survival

Historic French duo in fight for Ligue 1 survival

Saint-Etienne and Bordeaux have won a combined 16 French league titles, but two of French football's most successful clubs find themselves rooted in a deep malaise and facing the grim prospect of relegation this season.

Text size:

Beset by financial difficulties aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic and accusations of mismanagement, Saint-Etienne and Bordeaux occupy the bottom two spots in Ligue 1 with just five wins between them.

French champions a record 10 times, Saint-Etienne's dominance of the 1960s and 1970s is a distant memory. Les Verts also reached the 1976 European Cup final but a financial scandal sent the club into free-fall in the 1980s.

That decline coincided with Bordeaux's return to prominence during a decade in which they lifted three league trophies. The golden period was to end though with administrative relegation in 1991 over huge debts.

Bordeaux earned immediate promotion back to the top tier the following season, and have since claimed two more Ligue 1 titles -- in 1999 and 2009.

But the club has been drifting on the field for some time and was placed into administration last year after its US-based owners King Street pulled the plug on their investment.

Les Girondins flirted with relegation before winning their last two games to stay up, but their safety was not assured until former Lille owner Gerard Lopez completed a takeover of the club in July.

Renewed optimism has quickly faded and coach Vladimir Petkovic is fighting for his job going into this weekend's game with Strasbourg.

Petkovic, who led Switzerland to the Euro 2020 quarter-finals, last week received public backing from Lopez but then watched his team capitulate 6-0 at Rennes -- their heaviest Ligue 1 loss since 1986.

Thierry Henry is reportedly being considered as a potential replacement for a critical few months that could have long-lasting effects for a club in turmoil.

"I wouldn't have imagined it these past seasons, but today you have to face up to the reality. We're in a dangerous situation," former Bordeaux and France star Alain Giresse told L'Equipe.

"It wouldn't just be a descent into Ligue 2 but perhaps the end of the club. We're on hot coals."

Six straight league defeats have left Saint-Etienne six points from safety, but Pascal Dupraz hopes Friday's derby with Lyon can mark the start of a recovery mission for a club up for sale since April.

"I think we have a one in two chance of staying up," said Dupraz, who was appointed last month after the sacking of Claude Puel.

"Despite these first two defeats, at home furthermore, it's not all over."

Paris Saint-Germain, 11 points clear at the top, host Reims on Sunday, while second-placed Nice go to Metz. Marseille play away to Lens on Saturday.

Player to watch: Wissam Ben Yedder

The Monaco captain is the league's joint-leading scorer alongside Jonathan David of Lille despite seven of his 20 appearances coming off the bench.

Returning from a Covid-19 lay-off, the France international struck twice in the second half of a 4-0 win over Clermont last weekend –- the second time he has scored a brace as a substitute this term.

Niko Kovac often left Ben Yedder out over concerns about his defensive contribution, but new coach Philippe Clement believes he will "thrive a lot in the football we want to play".

Key stats

26 – Lorient are winless in their last 26 away games in the top flight, losing 15 of those matches.

7 – Hatem Ben Arfa could appear for his seventh different club in Ligue 1 after signing for Lille. He has previously played for Lyon, Marseille, Nice, PSG, Rennes and Bordeaux.

Fixtures (all times 1400 GMT unless stated)

Friday

Lyon v Saint-Etienne (2000)

Saturday

Brest v Lille (1600), Lens v Marseille (2000)

Sunday

Metz v Nice (1200), Angers v Troyes, Bordeaux v Strasbourg, Clermont v Rennes, Nantes v Lorient, Montpellier v Monaco (1605), Paris Saint-Germain v Reims (1945)

A.Padmanabhan--DT