First published on May 8th ’17, this article can also be found as part
of the Ligue 1 review over at GFFN and Guardian Sport.

Marseille are the biggest club in France. The tradition and romance that come with their white and blue coupled with the cauldron that is the Velodrome surpass PSG’s millions or Lyon’s seven consecutive titles. They are the only French winner of the champions league, hold a joint record of 10 league titles and boast Jean-Pierre Papin, Laurent Blanc and Didier Deschamps among their alumni. However, since their last league win in 2010, the club’s trajectory has been a downward one, culminating in a disastrous 13th place finish last season when they were so poor that fans played the Benny Hill theme from the stands, mocking the players. Now OM are resurgent, and they aren’t alone. Rudi Garcia’s management, Frank Mccourt’s funding and a growing group of stylish players has them back in the top 5 as they lead the reawakening of French club football.

At first glance, it was a bad week for French Football. A previously effervescent Monaco were brushed aside by Max Allegri’s ruthless Juventus in the first leg of their Champions League semi final at the Stade Louis II while a resurgent Lyon put in a shambolic display in their own European semi final first leg losing 4-1 at Ajax. Pair this with PSG’s utter humiliation at the Nou Camp and it would appear that Ligue 1 has merely disappointed once again this season. This, however, is not the case as, a pair of European semi finalists aside, making France the second most represented country at this stage, momentum is starting to gather.

Since QSI’s arrival at PSG back in 2011, the Parisians seem to have almost solely driven wider interest in French football and, from the outside, Ligue 1 has become entirely about them. Last season a 31 point title winning margin and a second consecutive domestic treble bordered on the obscene. In each of the last 4 seasons, the capital club have won the title with relative ease while French sides have performed poorly in Europe, limping along with just 10 final 16 Champions League or Europa League representatives in the last 5 seasons, half of which were PSG. England, Germany and Italy all at least double this total and Spain nearly triple it while Russia also outperform the French. Traditionally one of the world’s premier footballing nations where interest is in football rife and talent abundant, France’s recent produce has been alarming poor. This, however, is changing.

Further foreign investment and, more importantly, the astute application of that investment has driven development at the summit of Ligue 1, turning a top 1, into a top 6 or 7. This competitiveness can partly be attributed to PSG as investment has become an attractive proposition for foreigners, Paris proving that France has the footballing infrastructure, interest and pulling power for a ‘project’ to become a success while other clubs have been forced to find a way to adapt and compete, as Monaco have done this season; their title now all but assured.

Granted, Monaco boast the substantial resources of Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev, but their seasonal operating budget is still exceeded by Lyon’s and is less than a third of their Parisien peers with financial fair play and Rybolovlev’s divorce contributing to the scaling back of spending that brought James Rodriguez and Falcao to the principality. The club, led by Rybolovlev’s right hand man, Vadim Vasilyev, have prudently invested in and expertly nurtured young talent from Ligue 1 and abroad, as well as from their own academy.

Thomas Lemar and Tiemoue Bakayoko, superb both domestically and in the Champions League, are examples of talent identified from lower down Ligue 1, signed for a relatively modest fee and given the chance to play and develop at a higher level. Much like Anthony Martial, signed from Lyon for 6 million euros before his mammoth transfer to Manchester, both men now also carry hefty price tags. With the club likely league winners and the return to the champions league next season, the need to sell will be diminished, unlike previous years, and they now have a platform on which to build.

Third placed Nice, with a starting budget of roughly 40 million euros, take this model further still in their shrewd, intelligent scouting and precise acquisition of domestic prospects and foreign talent, often from Portugal. Yes, they too now have Chinese investment but their carefully considered thriftfull approach and deft management has kept them in the title race into the latter stages of the season. Their routing of PSG incredibly put them within three points of Unai Emery’s team in second with three games to play. After their fourth place finish last year and their form throughout the campaign under the superb Lucien Favre, despite their loss of Hatem Ben Arfa, Nice have proved that they are capable of sustaining their success.

Nice’s trip to Marseille on Sunday evening pitted the precise, prudent leadership of Julian Feunier, Jean-Pierre Revere and Favre again a more ‘Parisien’ approach. Marseille’s American owner Frank McCourt, taking over in October, recently stated he could spend 50 million euros on a single player. Something not seen in France outside PSG and Rybolovlev’s early days at Monaco and his financial muscle has already had an effect; enabling the return of Dimitri Payet, spending 9 million euros on the league’s top assist provider Morgan Sansom, funding the 11m euro resigning of Florian Thauvin after his purchase clause was activated and tempting Patrice Evra back to France.

Although the full extent of their purchasing power remains to be seen, Marseille are proving that their revamping can be a successful one. After a slow start, Rudi Garcia is starting to show his Ligue 1 expertise. A double winner with Lille in 2011, Garcia is starting to get the best out of what is a talented if a little lopsided group. Their 5-1 demolition of Caen last weekend and their 2-1 win over Nice were arguably their most assured displays yet in their push for a Europa League place amongst the top 6. The meeting at the Velodrome last night typified all that is great about Marseille and Ligue 1 in their current guise; two teams playing stylish and more attacking football, a vociferous crowd (the disgraceful scenes at Bastia aside, many Ligue 1 club’s boast intense and passionate support), star players and a high standard, in what was a compelling encounter.

Marseille are now one of the league’s main attractions. The attacking triumvirate of Bafetimbi Gomis, Payet and Thauvin posses the pace, power and vision to trouble any defense while the waspish Maxine Lopes, after a breakthrough season, coupled with the graceful Morgan Sansom have the makings of a tight and suffocating midfield. All five men have hit some of their best form in recent weeks and proved too much for Nice, inflicting only a third loss of the season. Defensively they still require some overhaul. Garcia has cajoled his back four into some solid displays but a pair of centre backs and a goalkeeper are both near the top of OM’s shopping list.

Marseille can be taken as something of a barometer from French football and as the southerners improve so is the league as a whole. Although adjustments still need to be made, Lyon have shown, most notably in their superb triumph over Roma and signing of Memphis Depay, that they too have the appeal and class to challenge. The likely sales of Alex Lacazette and Corentin Tolisso this summer, their subsequent replacement and the reinvestment of the funds will prove crucial in maintaining the resurgence of a club whose budget is second only to PSG. Bordeaux have an exciting young coach in Jocelyn Gourvennec, and the youthful players to match. Midfield playmaker Valentin Vada and Brazilian attacker Malcom’s breakout years have complemented their signing of veteran Jeremy Toulalan, aiding them in becoming a top 6 club once again.

Ligue 1 is not what it used to be, even 12 months ago. The flare of Monaco and Lyon, the guile of Nice and Bordeaux and the stars of PSG and Marseille make the French top flight a genuine force on the European stage. After the enthralling title race and relative European success of this campaign, the continual emergence of exuberant young talent and the thundering return of the league’s biggest club, next season has the potential to be the best France has seen in some years.