The 2010–11 Ligue 1 season was the 73rd since its establishment. Entering the season, Marseille were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 21 May 2010 and the season began on 7 August and ended on 29 May 2011. The winter break was in effect between 23 December and 15 January 2011. There were three promoted teams from Ligue 2, replacing the three teams that were relegated from Ligue 1 following the 2009–10 season. A total of 20 teams currently competes in the league with three clubs suffering relegation to the second division, Ligue 2. All clubs that secured Ligue 1 status for the season were subject to approval by the DNCG before becoming eligible to participate.The DNCG is responsible for overseeing the legal and financial accounts of professional football clubs in France. If clubs operating in French football don't meet the DNCG's expectations, they can face sanctions, such as relegation. In addition, German sportswear company Puma, whom the Ligue de Football Professionnel share a partnership with, provided a brand new match ball for the new season.
Lille clinched the league title on 21 May 2011 with one match to spare after drawing 2–2 with Paris Saint-Germain away at the Parc des Princes. The title was the club's third overall and its first in over 57 years. As a result of Lille also winning the Coupe de France during the season, the club became the third different club in three consecutive seasons to win some form of the double in France. In 2009, Bordeaux captured the league and league cup double and, in the following season, Marseille did the same.
Teams
On 19 April, Caen drew 0–0 with Nîmes. The draw assured Caen a return to Ligue 1 after falling down to Ligue 2 the previous season. On 30 April, Brest secured promotion to Ligue 1, for the first time since being administratively relegated in 1991, following stalemates in matches involving Metz and Clermont. Brest capped the promotion by defeating Tours 2–0 on the same day. On 14 May, on the final day of the Ligue 2 season, Arles-Avignon became the last Ligue 2 club to achieve promotion to the first division. The club defeated fourth-place club Clermont 1–0 at home to earn promotion. The club had achieved promotion to Ligue 2 from the third-tier Championnat National the previous season meaning the club has jumped two divisions in just two seasons.
Grenoble was the first club to suffer relegation to Ligue 2. The club's impending drop occurred on 10 April 2010 following the team's 4–0 defeat to Toulouse. On 3 May 2010, both Boulogne and Le Mans were relegated to Ligue 2 following defeats. Le Mans relegation was confirmed following their 3–2 loss away to Nancy, while Boulogne suffered relegation after losing 1–0 to Saint-Étienne, who both Boulogne and Le Mans were trailing. Having earned promotion to Ligue 1 the previous season, Boulogne's return to Ligue 2 meant a short-lived stay in the highest division.
Stadia and locations On 17 May 2010, the Ligue de Football Professionnel announced that, for the first time in French football history, two clubs, Lorient and Nancy, would switch the surface of their football pitch from grass to artificial turf. This type of surface is common in North America and Eastern Europe, but is considered rare in Western Europe. Both clubs attributed the switch to weather and ecological problems with severe cold fronts affecting their regions every winter. The switch would, in turn, reduce energy costs and also avoid cancellations of matches due to a frozen pitch. Also, in Lorient's case, a constant proliferation of earthworms onto their pitch over the past two seasons had led to a rapid deterioration of the ground, which has forced the club to spend as much as €2 million to replace it. Both clubs previously toured Russia, Austria, and Norway to become better acclimated with the surface.
Club Location Venue Capacity Average attendance1AvignonParc des Sports 17,518 9,314AuxerreStade de l'Abbé-Deschamps 24,493 11,113BordeauxStade Chaban-Delmas 34,462 25,221BrestStade Francis-Le Blé 16,000 13,379CaenStade Michel d'Ornano 21,500 15,487LensStade Félix-Bollaert 41,233 31,820Villeneuve d'AscqStadium Nord Lille Métropole 18,185 16,237LorientStade du Moustoir 18,890 15,540LyonStade de Gerland 41,842 34,914MarseilleStade Vélodrome 60,013 51,210FontvieilleStade Louis II 18,500 6,517MontpellierStade de la Mosson 32,900 16,706TomblaineStade Marcel Picot 20,085 16,696NiceStade du Ray 17,415 8,428ParisParc des Princes 48,712 28,736RennesStade de la Route de Lorient 31,127 23,641Saint-ÉtienneStade Geoffroy-Guichard 35,616 25,503MontbéliardStade Auguste Bonal 20,005 11,976ToulouseStadium Municipal 35,470 19,961ValenciennesStade Nungesser 16,547 11,4321Source: As of 26 April 2011
Personnel and kits Team Manager Captain Kit ManufacturerShirt sponsors (front)Shirt sponsors (back)Shirt sponsors (sleeve)Shorts sponsorsArles-Avignon UhlsportCESP Energie SolaireCESP Energie SolaireMarie BlachèreMarie BlachèreAuxerre AirnessSenoble, Invicta GroupGroupamaConseil général de l'YonneBesson ChaussuresBordeaux PumaKiaCdiscountPichet ImmobilierCdiscountBrest NikeQuéguiner Matériaux (H)/Yaourt Malo (A & 3)/La Potagère (A & 3), Geodis Calberson, Breizh ColaCasino SupermarchésGUYOT EnvironnementIDPCaen NikeGDE Recyclage (H)/Campagne de France (A & 3), GDE Recyclage (A & 3)Petit ForestierNoneNoneLens ReebokInvicta Group, Allianz, OptexFrance-pariNord-Pas-de-CalaisMcCain FoodsLille UmbroPartouchePartoucheNord-Pas-de-CalaisNoneLorient DuarigLa Trinitaine, Armor-Lux, B&B HotelsSalaun HolidaysNoneCap l'Orient AgglomérationLyon AdidasBetclic (H)/Everest Poker (A), MDA Electroménager (H)/LG (A)GroupamaAralditeRenault TrucksMarseille AdidasBetclicIntersportNoneGroupamaMonaco MacronFedcom, HSBCHSBCHSBCPeace and SportMontpellier NikeLa Foir'Fouille/NetBet, Dyneff, La Région Languedoc-RoussillonMontpellier AgglomérationRenault TrucksSystème UNancy UmbroDelipapier/Cora Supermarché/Umbro/Sopalin/Nouvelec Connexion Laxou/Ticket Sport/Centre Commercial Saint Sébastien/Kompass/Steve/Rozana/Factum/Pixab/The Fanclub, Geodis Calberson, Sopalin, Grand NancyTriangle IntérimFort AventureCaisse d'EpargneNice LottoMad-Croc Energy Drink, Takara Multimédia, Métropole Nice Côte d'AzurPizzorno EnvironnementNoneMétropole Nice Côte d'AzurParis Saint-Germain NikeFly Emirates, UNICEFWinamax PokerPoweoElior GroupRennes PumaSamsic, rennes.frBlot ImmobilierAssociation ELABreizh ColaSaint-Étienne AdidasWinamax Poker, Invicta Group, Conseil général de la Loire en Rhône-AlpesFunaiKasperskySaint-Étienne Métropole, LoireSochaux LottoPeugeot, Mobil 1, Franche-ComtéPays de Montbéliard AgglomérationPeugeot Occasions Du LionNoneToulouse AirnessGroupe IDEC, Fondation TFC, JD PromotionNewrestNoneNoneValenciennes NikeToyota (H)/SITA (A), PartoucheSITA (H)/Toyota (A)Nord-Pas-de-CalaisNone
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing head coachManner ofdepartureDate ofvacancyPositionin tableIncoming head coachDate ofappointmentPositionin table Bordeaux Laurent Blanc Mutual consent Off-season Jean Tigana Off-season Arles-Avignon Michel Estevan Sacked 20th Faruk Hadžibegić 20th Lens Jean-Guy Wallemme Resigned 19th László Bölöni 19th Monaco Guy Lacombe Sacked 17th Laurent Banide17th Bordeaux Jean Tigana Resigned 9th Eric Bédouet9th
League table
Results
Season statistics
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Moussa Sow Lille252 Kevin Gameiro Lorient223 Grégory Pujol Valenciennes17 Youssef El-Arabi Caen Lisandro López Lyon6 Loïc Rémy Marseille167 Gervinho Lille15 Brown Ideye Sochaux Modibo Maïga Sochaux10 Nenê Paris Saint-Germain14 Last updated: 29 May 2011 Source: Official Goalscorers' Standings
Scoring First goal of the season: Mevlüt Erdinç for Paris Saint-Germain against Saint-Étienne (7 August 2010) Quickest goal of the season: 58 seconds – Nenê for Paris Saint-Germain against Auxerre (24 October 2010) Latest goal in a match in the season: 90+6 minutes – Anthony Modeste for Bordeaux against Nice (12 September 2010) Widest winning margin: 5 goals Lyon 5–0 Arles-Avignon (6 March 2011) Lille 5–0 Arles-Avignon (1 May 2011) Highest scoring game: 9 goals Lille 6–3 Lorient (5 December 2010) Most goals scored in a match by a single team: 6 goals – Lille 6–3 Lorient (5 December 2010)
Discipline Worst overall disciplinary record (1 pt per yellow card, 3 pts per second yellow card/red card): Montpellier – 98 points (77 yellow & 7 red cards) Best overall disciplinary record: Brest – 48 points (48 yellow & 0 red cards) Most yellow cards (club): Caen – 80 Most yellow cards (player): 13 Renato Civelli (Nice) Alaixys Romao (Lorient) Dennis Oliech (Auxerre) Most red cards (club): 8 Arles-Avignon Lyon Most red cards (player): 2 Aly Cissokho (Lyon) Renato Civelli (Nice) Drissa Diakité (Nice) Sambou Yatabaré (Caen)
Awards
Monthly awards
UNFP Player of the Month MonthPlayerClubSeptember Dimitri Payet Saint-ÉtienneOctober Steeve Elana BrestNovember Clément Chantôme Paris Saint-GermainDecember Nenê Paris Saint-GermainJanuary Marvin Martin SochauxFebruary Mickaël Landreau LilleMarch Eden Hazard LilleApril Mamadou Sakho Paris Saint-Germain
Annual awards
The nominees for the Player of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, Young Player of the Year, Manager of the Year, and Goal of the Year in Ligue 1. The winners were determined at the annual UNFP Awards, which were held on 22 May. The winners will be displayed in bold.
Player of the Year PlayerNationalityClubKevin GameiroFranceLorientEden HazardBelgiumLilleNenêBrazilParis Saint-GermainMoussa SowSenegalLille
Young Player of the Year PlayerNationalityClubAndré AyewGhanaMarseilleMarvin MartinFranceSochauxYann M'VilaFranceRennesMamadou SakhoFranceParis Saint-Germain
Goalkeeper of the Year PlayerNationalityClubMickaël LandreauFranceLilleHugo LlorisFranceLyonSteve MandandaFranceMarseilleStéphane RuffierFranceAS Monaco
Manager of the Year ManagerNationalityClubDidier DeschampsFranceMarseilleRudi GarciaFranceLilleFrancis GillotFranceSochauxChristian GourcuffFranceLorient
Team of the Year
Team of the YearGoalkeeper Steve Mandanda (Marseille)Defenders Anthony Réveillère (Lyon) Adil Rami (Lille) Mamadou Sakho (Paris Saint-Germain) Taye Taiwo (Marseille)Midfielders Yann M'Vila (Rennes) Gervinho (Lille) Eden Hazard (Lille) Nenê (Paris Saint-Germain)Forwards Kévin Gameiro (Lorient) Moussa Sow (Lille)
List of 2010–11 transfers
References
External links
Official site