The new Ligue 1 season gets underway on August 21st when Marseille welcome Strasbourg. It will be the opening match of a 306-game campaign that runs through to the end of May, although there will be a midwinter break of approximately three weeks over Christmas and the New Year.
Whilst PSG remain overwhelming favourites to retain the title, there are grounds for thinking that the challenge to their supremacy could be stronger than it has been in recent seasons.
Lens, the side that came closest to ending their dominance last season, have already demonstrated that they can compete with the champions by beating them in the French Super Cup. That result also ended PSG’s hopes of claiming six trophies during the season.
Marseille, Lille, Monaco and Lyon will also start the campaign believing that they have the potential to mount a serious challenge.
There is, however, a broader issue affecting Ligue 1. French clubs continue to operate at a financial disadvantage to their counterparts in England, Spain, Germany and Italy, largely because domestic broadcasting rights are relatively modest in value. For clubs other than PSG, this makes retaining their best players increasingly difficult, with Premier League sides in particular able to exploit the financial disparity.
With the transfer window remaining open until 1st September, there is therefore still a possibility that some clubs could lose important players before the season is fully underway.
PSG the dominant force
Backed by their wealthy Qatari owners, PSG have been the dominant force in French football for much of the past decade and secured their fifth consecutive Ligue 1 title last season with 76 points. They also retained the Champions League, defeating Arsenal in the final.
Luis Enrique has been active in the transfer market as he seeks to refresh his squad. Gonçalo Ramos has moved to AC Milan, Randal Kolo Muani has made his move to Juventus permanent, and Kang-in Lee has joined Atletico Madrid. A potential move for Bradley Barcola to a Premier League club would help offset the expenditure on Moroccan midfielder Maghnes Akliouche from Monaco, full-back Lucas Digne from Aston Villa, and Belgian winger Mika Godts from Ajax.
Ferran Torres, meanwhile, who scored Spain’s winning goal in the World Cup final, will now be expected to play a leading role in the attack.
PSG have already added one trophy to their collection this season by winning the European Super Cup, although they were unable to claim a second after Lens defeated them in the French Super Cup.
PSG have traditionally been slow to find their rhythm in Ligue 1, and that could be particularly relevant this season given how many members of the squad returned late following their World Cup commitments. Their strength in depth should nevertheless allow them to compete seriously across all the remaining competitions in which they are involved.
Can Lens challenge again?
Lens could reasonably argue that their own lack of squad depth ultimately prevented them from going all the way to the title last season, although they did secure the French Cup for the first time in the club’s history.
There has been a managerial change since then, with Pierre Sage leaving for Crystal Palace in the Premier League and being replaced by Dino Toppmöller. Toppmöller faces the difficult task of sustaining the momentum built by his predecessor while dealing with the loss of several important players during the summer, including Malian midfielder Mamadou Sangaré, who has joined Brentford.
The demands of Champions League football will provide another test.
Nevertheless, their victory over PSG in the French Super Cup final, achieved despite playing for more than an hour with ten men, means Lens have to be taken seriously as challengers once again.
Marseille looking to regroup
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Marseille are the biggest club in France outside PSG, and their supporters expect the club to compete for trophies and Champions League qualification. Unfortunately, a succession of managers have failed to meet those expectations, with Bruno Genesio the latest to be given the opportunity following the departure of Habib Beye.
Genesio enjoyed successful periods with Lyon, Rennes and Lille, but his latest task is to transform a squad that has undergone considerable change during the summer into one capable of producing consistent results.
He will have to do so without English striker Mason Greenwood, who has been sold to Fenerbahçe, although the income from that transfer gives Genesio additional scope to strengthen the squad before the transfer window closes.
Lille make bold managerial choice
Having lost Genesio, Lille have opted for an ambitious replacement by appointing Davide Ancelotti, the son of Carlo Ancelotti. The 36-year-old has gained considerable experience working as his father’s assistant at some of Europe’s biggest clubs, but this represents his first major opportunity to establish himself as a head coach.
He will have to keep Lille competing towards the top end of Ligue 1 while also managing the additional demands created by Champions League football.
Monaco with room for improvement
Monaco finished seventh last season, leaving new manager Filipe Luis with considerable scope to improve their fortunes after taking charge of the Principality club. He enjoyed an impressive period as Flamengo manager, winning both the Brazilian league and Copa Libertadores, and now begins his first European assignment as a head coach.
The club have also made Ansu Fati’s loan move permanent and brought in promising young winger Mathys Detourbet from Manchester City on loan after he helped Troyes win Ligue 2.
Paul Pogba’s future is less certain, however, with his contract on the verge of being terminated as he continues to struggle with injuries.
Lyon hoping for better times
A year ago, Lyon, one of France’s most famous clubs, were facing an existential threat as losses mounted and their balance sheet became increasingly burdened by debt. Since then, however, there has been a major financial restructuring, allowing the club to look towards the future, although with considerably more realistic expectations.
They cannot operate in the manner of the Lyon side of two decades ago, when significant sums could be spent on rebuilding the squad. Their priorities now have to be keeping the wage bill under control, generating transfer income, developing young players and trying to qualify for the Champions League, which would provide a significant boost to their revenues.
Rosenior back in French football
Paris FC, meanwhile, will begin their second Ligue 1 campaign rather than entering the season as newly promoted newcomers. They have appointed Liam Rosenior as their new manager following the departure of Antoine Kombouaré.
Rosenior will be hoping to rebuild his reputation following his unhappy spell at Chelsea, while he can draw on his knowledge of French football after his previous time at Strasbourg. His immediate objective will be to build upon the club’s successful first season in the top flight.
The relegation candidates
The two promoted clubs, Troyes and Le Mans, are likely to begin the season as the leading candidates for immediate relegation, given their limited resources and the demands involved in competing at a higher level. Survival would represent a significant achievement for either club.
Among the established Ligue 1 sides, Angers and Le Havre appear to be the most obvious candidates to become involved in a relegation battle. Both operate with relatively modest budgets, and they will need to find a way to increase their goal output if they are to avoid another difficult campaign.
Brest could also become involved if they cannot reproduce the form that previously took them into European competition, while Auxerre and Toulouse remain vulnerable because of their inconsistent performances.
Andy is a sports author whose writing explores the games, teams, rivalries, personalities, and stories that have shaped the sporting imagination. He has published three non-fiction sports books covering football, Formula One, and the wider stories behind some of sport’s most compelling rivalries.
His latest book, Football and War, examines the relationship between international football and the political and historical tensions that can lie beneath the surface of the game. It explores how football rivalries between nations are often shaped by events and conflicts that extend far beyond the pitch.