French World Cup cloud hangs over new season in Ligue 1

The new Ligue 1 season gets underway this weekend with French soccer desperate for an image uplift in the aftermath of the national team’s dismal World Cup showing and off-field infighting. France were knocked out of the tournament in South Africa in the first round following a campaign marred by a player boycott of a training session in support of striker Nicolas Anelka, who was sent home for insulting coach Raymond Domenech. “I fear our fans are disenchanted with soccer after what happened in South Africa,” Frederic Thiriez, president of the French Football League (LFP), told Reuters after a pre-season meeting with Ligue 1 coaches and referees.

“It was a moral disaster and its repercussions could be serious on professional and amateur football. It could lead to a drop in the number of club members, a drop in attendances, a drop in television audiences, and a drop in income,” he added. “We must react urgently to put French soccer on its feet again. There are two ways to do it: produce a good show and go back to the real spirit and values of the game.” The curtain-raiser to the season last weekend, the French Champions Trophy clash in Tunisia between champions Olympique Marseille and Cup winners Paris St Germain, failed to provide the spark Thiriez had hoped with Marseille winning a shootout after a dreary goalless draw in front of 50,000 bored fans. At least the result enabled Marseille, who host Caen in their league opener on Saturday, to keep the momentum that helped them end an 18-year wait for the French title and lift their first major trophy since they won the Champions League in 1993.