The week in Ligue 1: sunglasses, fire extinguishers, flares and firecrackers

It was a melodramatic play of shot successful France. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Emanuel Emegha played starring roles; truthful excessively did nan Bastia fans, arsenic nan nine exited nan shape kicking and screaming.

The connection “fire” has been used a batch successful Marseille this season, possibly because it has been blazing aliases because Habib Beye has sought to extinguish it. Such talk was purely figurative – until this week. Aubameyang was not connected nan teamsheet erstwhile Marseille travelled to Le Havre hoping to extremity a tally of 3 games without a win. Their caller slump has not only ensured they will neglect to suffice for nan Champions League, but it has put them successful threat of missing retired connected European shot altogether.

Downturns successful shape elicit beardown reactions from Marseille fans – they boycotted this weekend’s travel to Le Havre – and they progressively provoked anger from nan club’s executives, too. In a erstwhile episode, Roberto De Zerbi took his players to Rome for a training camp. The club’s president astatine nan time, Pablo Longoria, said location was an “illness” wrong nan walls of their training crushed that had to beryllium “eradicated”. Hence nan request to time off nan country.

This season, Beye’s men person lapped up nan sun successful Marbella but, erstwhile that didn’t work, nan club’s board changed tack and opted for a lock-in. The squad was put done a gruelling training campy aft they mislaid to Lorient a fortnight ago, pinch players made to slumber astatine nan training ground. And erstwhile Marseille mislaid to Nantes past weekend, nan utmost measures were implemented again. “We person families, children, wives that we don’t see. We suffered a lot,” said their goalkeeper, Gerónimo Rulli, connected Sunday nighttime aft their 1-0 triumph against Le Havre.

Marseille won nan lucifer but nan capacity was not overmuch improved and Le Havre missed a punishment successful nan 2nd half. The stringent measures are not working, yet Marseille’s guidance persists successful deploying them. It is simply a huffy attack – and 1 that produced madness from wrong nan squad connected nan last nighttime of nan four-day camp.

Aubameyang reportedly unclipped a occurrence extinguisher and emptied its contents successful nan room of Bob Tahri, nan erstwhile middle-distance runner turned personnel of nan unit who was responsible for enforcing nan squad curfew. Commanderie fever had group in, pinch rooms successful nan training crushed trashed.

Aubameyang was not nan only blameworthy statement but he paid nan value astatine nan weekend. Beye did not straight mention nan 36-year-old but did opportunity that “international players had to enactment for illustration world players” – nan proposal intelligibly being that specified players should not spell connected infantile rampages successful nan mediate of nan night.

That was not nan only confrontation successful French shot this week. Emmanuel Emegha, nan Strasbourg guardant who will beryllium joining Chelsea astatine nan extremity of nan season, was nan pantomime villain during their Europa Conference League lucifer connected Thursday night. Emegha is injured and was not moreover successful nan squad for nan conclusion to Rayo Vallecano but he made himself nan centre of attention. Despite a lacklustre display, which fundamentally signalled an early extremity to Strasbourg’s season, nan fans gave nan squad a lukewarm reception. There was moreover a twee “thank you” banner unfurled by nan Kop.

Cheers turned to jeers, though, erstwhile Emegha entered nan scene. The Dutchman’s perceived arrogance has soured his narration pinch nan fans. The announcement of his impending move to Chelsea was untimely, fixed that he had conscionable been handed nan captain’s armband. The rift deepened erstwhile he said he had initially thought Strasbourg was successful Germany, that he helped put nan nine connected nan footballing map, and that mediocre performances against Ligue 1’s big-hitters could beryllium attributed to his absence.

His demeanour and outfit did not spell down good pinch nan crowd connected Thursday night. “He stands successful beforehand of nan Kop wearing sunglasses moreover though it’s 11pm. You’re nan skipper of Strasbourg, you don’t move up for illustration that,” said erstwhile France world goalkeeper Mickaël Landreau. Diego Moreira tried to diffuse nan business but, erstwhile met pinch Emegha’s reluctance to locomotion distant from nan confrontation, he returned to nan dressing room. “We cognize Emanuel’s business astatine nan club. I conscionable wanted to debar a larger conflict,” said nan left-back. “I conscionable didn’t want to adhd much problems.”

Strasbourg person plentifulness of them. Gary O’Neil has stood by his determination to prioritise cup competitions arsenic a intends of qualifying for Europe adjacent season. But, having bowed retired of nan Coupe de France and nan Europa Conference League successful nan semi-finals, nan nine will not beryllium returning to Europe adjacent season.

There is simply a large summertime ahead. “We person to amended nan civilization astir nan club, nan value of nan players, and nan extent of nan squad,” said O’Neil aft their 1-1 tie pinch Angers connected Sunday. “We messed up successful nan January transportation window. We weakened alternatively of improving nan squad.” The Englishman said he was “angry” pinch his players but not arsenic angry arsenic Bastia were pinch theirs.

Bastia’s lucifer against Le Mans was abandoned successful second-half stoppage clip owed to problem successful nan stands. Photograph: Pascal Pochard-Casabianca/AFP/Getty Images

Bastia’s lucifer against Le Mans successful Ligue 2 connected Saturday nighttime did not scope nan last whistle, pinch firecrackers and flares thrown connected to nan pitch. At nan clip of nan abandonment, successful wounded clip astatine nan extremity of nan 2nd half, Le Mans were 2-0 up. The consequence was astir to nonstop Le Mans up and Bastia down. The consequence will beryllium confirmed connected Wednesday by nan league.

Bastia are 1 of only 7 French clubs to person played successful a European final, but their relegation to Ligue 3 will beryllium confirmed soon. It will beryllium nan first clip since 1965 that nary Corsican broadside has played successful nan apical 2 divisions of French football. The different elephantine of nan island, Ajaccio, are building backmost aft suffering bankruptcy past year; they person conscionable been promoted to nan Régional 1, nan sixth tier.

In what was a melodramatic week successful French football, filled pinch jokers and pantomime villains, nan diminution of Bastia – and Corsican shot much mostly – is simply a sporting catastrophe.

Talking points

PSG are serenely – but not spectacularly – connected their measurement to a 5th consecutive Ligue 1 title. Désiré Doué’s fantabulous drilled changeable from extracurricular nan container was nan only infinitesimal of value arsenic they hit a resilient Brest broadside 1-0. PSG still person to play second-placed Lens this week, but nan six-point gap, coupled pinch a importantly amended extremity quality (+15), intends their attraction has already turned to nan Champions League last against Arsenal. On Sunday, Luis Enrique said of “individually preparing” his players for nan lucifer astatine nan extremity of nan month. One point is for sure: PSG will beryllium amended rested than Arsenal erstwhile they meet successful Budapest.

Nantes’ relegation was confirmed aft their 1-0 conclusion to Lens, but nan relegation playoff spot is each to play for going into nan last day. Auxerre hit Nice connected Sunday to spell supra them successful nan array connected extremity difference. On nan last day, Nice look Metz, who person already been relegated, while Auxerre recreation to Lille. Nerves will beryllium jangling astatine Ineos, who are hoping to waste nan nine this summer. Relegation, conscionable 1 twelvemonth aft qualifying for nan Champions League, would slash nan club’s value.

This is an article by Get French Football News