re: Soccer Boards Guide For Soccer Noobs

France

Formed in 1930, the French first division is known as Ligue 1 (pronounced Lee-g Uh) and is generally accepted as the 5th best league in the world behind England, Spain, Italy, and Germany. In the United States, most Ligue 1 matches are televised by BeIn Sport and broadcast over the internet via Bein Sport Connect. major matches are aired on the network proper.

Major Clubs

Olympique Marseille- The most decorated French club, OM have won Ligue 1 on 10 occasions, the Coupe De France on 10 occasions, and were the inaugural European Champions League winners in 1993. With their first French title coming in 1929, and their most recent coming in 2010, OM has won at a high level across all eras. Their stadium, the Velodrome, has a unique shape similar to the old Sombrero in Tampa.

Olympique Lyon- France's team of the 2000's, Lyon won Ligue 1 7 straight years between 2002 and 2008. They did so by pioneering soccer's version of "Moneyball" now widely used across Europe. While they have fallen back to the pack a bit recently, they are still always in the mix to qualify for the Champions league and often do so.

Paris St. Germain Formed in 1970, PSG are the youngest major club in Europe and are the only club in France to win the domestic treble (Ligue 1, Coupe De France, and Coupe de la Ligue) in the same season. PSG are also the only major club in France never to have been relegated, remaining in Ligue 1 since their inaugural season in the top division back in 1974. Historically underachievers, PSG were bought by the Qatari Investment Authority in 2008 and are the current French Dynasty, closing in on their 4th straight Ligue 1 title this season while trying to break through to the later stages of the Champions League.

AS Monaco- Anomalous by their location, Monaco are allowed to play in the French system despite being an independent country. They have won 7 Ligue 1 titles in their history and recently have attempted a serious challenge to PSG's recent dominance which has been cut short by their owner's ugly divorce proceedings.

Saint-Etienne- A major force in French football in the 60's and 70's, Saint-Etienne has won more French titles than any other club and were European Cub Runners-up in 1976. While not what they used to be, they are still very completive domestically

Major Rivalries

Le Classique: PSG vs Marseille The French classico. Paris and Marseille are respectively the 1st and 2nd most populated cities in France and the rivalry between both cities originally had nothing to do with football, but because PSG and OM usually have the two biggest budgets in French football the game between the two takes on extra meaning both on and off the pitch.

Olympico: Olympique Lyon vs Olympique de Marseille Unlike Le Classique, the rivalry has no bad blood within it and, instead, stems from the competitiveness of the each club's players, managers, supporters, and presidential hierarchy. The rivalry is often cited as being particularly important as both clubs are of high standard in French football and the championship has been decided between the two on many occassions.