In Clairefontaine
Observers and viewers who had to contend with Montpellier-Nice (0-0), Le Havre-Monaco (0-0) or even Rennes-Lyon (0-1) and Lens-OM (1-0) this weekend are slowly recovering. Between the technical weakness seen for a spectacle close to nothing for several days, Ligue 1 is struggling to enthuse all these followers. What is this due to? The level of the players? The departure of certain stars (Messi, Neymar, Sanchez, etc.)? Overall club policy? Asked about the low level of the French championship, in which nine of its internationals play (Samba, Clauss, Todibo, L. Hernandez, Zaire-Emery, Fofana, Dembélé, Kolo Muani, Mbappé), Didier Deschamps puts forward some explanations.
“Certainly, the fact of having increased to 18, with the number of descents, there are many more teams which are concerned, he admits as the first reason, after another catastrophic weekend on the lawns of France. But it’s not just in Ligue 1 that there are soporific matches, to be kind. Especially when there are weeks with the European Cup, the sequence behind… L1 is always difficult because there is always this athletic predominance. It also happens that there is not great quality in certain matches highlighted.
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The former coach of Monaco and even OM, however, assures that Ligue 1 is not the only championship to lack spectacle. “I can assure you, in other championships, it is not always a pleasure to watch from start to finish,” he adds, without taking care to name the league concerned, he who observes around fifty elements each weekend with his assistant Guy Stéphan. The L1 is at its level, with its qualities and its faults, but it is no less good compared to what I can see elsewhere. The coach is certainly not referring to the Premier League, which notably offered a magnificent Chelsea-Manchester City (4-4) on Sunday. Good news for those frustrated with the weekend, the championship is on break for a little over ten days.
