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Each week on languagecaster’s podcast we feature a main listening report and on this week’s show we spotlight the newly promoted sides in La Liga. You can listen to the report by clicking below and can read the transcript below. Explanations of vocabulary in bold appear at the foot of the post.

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Transcript

As with most of the big leagues in Europe, there are three newly promoted teams in the top division in Spain this season. The three teams are Real Sociedad, who came top of the second division last season, and Hércules and Levante, who finished second and third respectively.

Antoine Griezmann - New Sociedad star?

Let’s start with Real Sociedad. The team is based in the Basque town of San Sebastian and have spent most of their history in the top flight, and were champions in 1981 and 1982, but relegated in 2007. Traditionally they only recruited Basque footballers, this policy changed in the late eighties, although they still try to keep a backbone of Basque players.  Coached by Uruguayan Martin Lascarte, Real Sociedad will be hoping to stay in La Liga after their two seasons in the second division. They have a tough opener against Villarreal, but playing at home will help them. Big things are expected of teenager, Antoine Griezmann. The French left winger has come through the youth set up to impress in pre-season friendlies with four goals in two games, so keep an eye on him. Predictions? A draw to open their campaign and a mid table finish.

Next, Hércules. Based in Alicante, on the coast in the west of Spain, Hércules have been in the second division for most of their history. Although they have had spells in the top league their highest ever finish was fifth. More normally, they tend to hover around the relegation zone when they make it to La Liga. Before a ball has been kicked this season, the team is involved in a scandal that threatens to upset their early season, with a major shareholder, Enrique Ortiz, and their captain, López, alleged to have bribed teams to lose against their team last season. Predictions? Hércules open with a home game with Athletic Bilbao. Expect a loss and relegation this season. continue

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Every week during the 2010-11 season, the languagecaster team will include a main listening report that is featured on our weekly podcast. Below is the complete list and by clicking on the report you will be taken to a post with a transcript and an audio file.

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Each week on languagecaster’s podcast we feature a main listening report and on this week’s show we look ahead to the 2010-11 season for our two teams: Damon will talk about Liverpool while Damian discusses Spurs’ chances. You can listen to the report by clicking below and can read the transcript below. Explanations of vocabulary in bold appears at the foot of the post.

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Transcript

Damon: Well, Liverpool had a dreadful season last year, no trophies again and finishing seventh in the league. Awful! Can we do better this year? I hope so. And hope is something that Liverpool fans have again after their new manager, Roy Hodgson, has introduced a new confidence with three wins and a draw in his first competitive games – three victories in the Europa League and a battling draw with 10 men against Arsenal. So there is hope around Anfield, and this hope stems from his sensible signings. The latest, the experienced, combative Christian Poulson, will replace Mascherano as a holding midfielder – but coming in for a modest 4.5 million pounds, Liverpool can hope to make some money with Mascherano valued at over 20 million probably on the move according to the press. Hodgson has also bought in Joe Cole on a free transfer, an experienced striker in Jovanovic as well as a youthful defender in Danny Wilson. All, on paper, strengthening the squad. continue

 

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Each week on languagecaster’s podcast we feature a main report and on this week’s show we review the football season in Europe. You can listen to the report by clicking above and can read the transcript below. Explanations of vocabulary in bold appears at the foot of the post. You can also post a comment telling us what you thought were the best and worst moments of the season.

Review of the 2009-10 Season

It has been the season of the double, the treble and the bubble, that is English football’s hegemony, finally being burst. For the first time in 7 years no English side competed in the Champions League final, many of the Premier League’s teams are all massively in the red, while one of its members, Portsmouth, went into administration due to its inability to pay off its debts. But this financial downturn is not restricted to England with Spain’s La Liga clubs also massively in debt – more than a billion Euros worth of debt in fact. Way back at the start of this season in August we asked whether La Liga had become more powerful than the Premier League but maybe we should have looked elsewhere. Italy’s Serie A has hardly re-invented itself into a thriving league – attendances are not increasing, stadia are crumbling and TV deals are not as lucrative as before – but they produced the team of the season in Internazionale, ironically without any Italians in its regular starting line up. So, without further ado, here are the best, the worst and the most horrible of the 2009-10 season.

2009-10 Season: The Best

Love him or loathe him, you cannot ignore Jose Mourinho. He took over two years ago at Inter with one main aim – to win the Champions League, something no manager had done at this club since 1965. They had been the best team in Italy for the past 5 years but were not really taken seriously by the pundits who claimed that the Interistas did not have the character to go beyond the second round. Of course, Jose takes much of the credit for infusing the team with some steel but Inter fans can also look at the transfer deal of the season which saw Zlatan Ibrahimovic move to Barcelona in exchange for Champions League supremo, Samuel Eto’o and cash. That cash bought Brazilian captain Lucio from Bayern Munich, Dutch midfield maestro Wesley Schneider from Real Madrid and Diego Milito from Genoa who all had magnificent seasons for Inter as they won the domestic double and then crowned their season off with that Champions League victory the club had so desired.

A measure of Inter’s achievement is the fact that they beat the best of England, Spain and Germany on their way to the Champions League title. German side Bayern lost in the final but had a magnificent domestic season eventually winning the Bundesliga title rather comfortably after a shaky start that had seen their Dutch manager Van Gaal threatened with the sack. Unlike Jose, his football philosophy is based on attack and with Frenchman Ribery on one side and Dutchman Robben on the other, the Germans knew only one way to play and to emphasise this they demolished Werder Bremen 4-0 in the German Cup final. continue

 

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Each week on languagecaster’s podcast we feature a main report and on this week’s show we take a look at Bayern Munich and Inter’s chances in the CL – three football fans also give us their views. You can listen to the report by clicking above and can read the transcript below. Explanations of vocabulary in bold appears at the foot of the post.

So, the grand finale to the European football season sees Serie A’s Inter taking on the Bundesliga’s Bayern Munich in the Champions League final in the Bernabeu in Madrid – and like last year when Barcelona beat Manchester United , it is a battle between Champions as both teams have wrapped up their domestic titles. What makes this clash more interesting is the fact that both teams are chasing trebles – the domestic title, the most prestigious national cup trophy and to be crowned European Champions. there is also the added spice of the opposing managers: on the one side, Van Gaal, ex-coach of Barcelona, and on the other, Mourinho, Van Gaal’s interpreter at Barcelona – teacher vs pupil.

But let’s take a look at how the two teams got to the finals.

Goals: Bayern scored 21 and conceded 13 to Inter’s 15 scored and 9 let in.

Shots: Bayern averaged 6.5 shots on target a match compared to Inter’s 5.

Possession: Again Bayern come out on top here with an average of 34 minutes of possession to Inter’s 27.

Fouls: This is one part of the game where Inter come out on top – they averaged 15 fouls a game to Bayern’s 13.

Opposition: Looking at the teams they two faced on their way to the final you have to say Inter faced some tougher matches – they beat Chelsea, CSKA Moscow and many people’s ‘Best Team in the World’, Barcelona, in the knockout stages. This compares to Bayern who needed a bit of luck to get past Fiorentina and Manchester United, before beating Lyon.

All in all, it looks too close to call, making this a great game for the neutral. Let’s here what three neautral fans think.

Vocabulary

wrap up: complete, bring to a close, finish continue

 

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Each week on languagecaster’s podcast we feature a main report and on this week’s show we feature the Double – when a team wins the domestic league and cup. You can listen to the report by clicking above and can read the transcript below. Explanations of vocabulary in bold appears at the foot of the post.

What is a Double?

Very simply to do the double means that a team wins both the league title and the main domestic cup in the same season; so, for example, in England this would mean winning the Premier League and the FA Cup – quite a feat indeed. To win a double, a team has to demonstrate all the traits of a champion – abundant skill, strong character, lots of concentration, good organisation and team work but in order to win the cup then other factors like luck are also necessary.

England

When I was young, few people ever thought they would see another double-winning side again. When Tottenham won it in 1961 it was the first time it had been done since Aston Villa in 1897. Then when Arsenal became only the fourth side to do it in 1971 (Preston had won the double in 1889) we all thought that was that. Teams had to play more games in a season and their focus was firmly on winning international tournaments rather than domestic trophies. However, since Arsenal’s triumph in 1971 it has occurred on 7 more occasions, including this season after Chelsea’s win against Portsmouth in the FA Cup. Arsenal have won the double on three occasions, the last being in 2002, while Manchester United have also won it three times: in 1994, 1996 and in their treble-winning season of 1999. The only other club to have won a double in England is Liverpool when they managed it in 1986.

 

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Each week on languagecaster’s podcast we feature a main report and on this week’s show we continue with our World Cup series of reports spotlighting countries that will be taking part in the biggest soccer competition in the world in South Africa in June – Germany.

To most football fans around the world, Germany is one of the less popular nations to support. Indeed, when neutrals watch games it is often a common goal to see Germany get beaten. At club football level this has proven to be quite easy in recent years. But at the World Cup Germany has continually performed at an surprisingly high level. With three world cup victories in 1954, 1974 & 1990 and another four final appearances; only Brazil can boast a superior record. And what makes these statistics more interesting is that Germany often seem to enter the World Cup without a host of stars and with losses rather than victories in the group stages

It was in 1954 when German footballing legend was first written. Known as the “Miracle in Bern” Germany defeated the mighty Hungarian side against all odds, and so set in motion decades of success on the field. For Germany, such victories went a long way to helping the wider population regain confidence and once again feel proud of German achievement.

Through the early 70’s, around household names such as Beckenbauer, Mueller and Maier, into the 80’s with Breitner and then the nineties with Klinsmann and Matthaeus, Germany enjoyed more than their fair share of glory. And unsurprisingly one of the steadying influences of these eras is that between 1950 and 1990 Germany only had four different coaches.

But this year might be different. Here is a challenge: How many German players can you name? Apart from Ballack, and perhaps Podolski and Klose, many people struggle to recognize the names on the team sheet. Currently most of the team play in the Bundesliga. Moreover, many of the team are young talents rather than established stars. The job of moulding these players belongs to the coach Jogi Loew, who also has no known managerial experience.

There is experience in the team, but more than this what Germany rely on is mental strength, Teamgeist and a never say die attitude. And Germany will again be hard to beat in South Africa.

Germany will open their world cup campaign against Australia.

Vocabulary

a common goal: a shared wish or hope; something that a group of people all want to do continue

 

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On this week’s podcast we interview a Mexican fan who tells us all about his country’s chances at the 2010 South Africa World Cup. Remember you can also:

Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking here

 

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Each week on languagecaster’s podcast we feature a main report and on this week’s show we continue with our World Cup countdown by taking a look at Mexico’s chances in the tournament. We ask our Mexican football expert Juan Pablo Camargo how he thinks Mexico will fare this summer. You can listen to the report by clicking above and can read the transcript below.

Introduction

Continuing with our preview of the South Africa World Cup we have an interview with our Mexican football expert Juan Pablo Camargo in which he tells us all about his country’s chances at the World Cup. He focuses on coach Javier Aguirre, discusses some of the players to watch out for, gives us an overall tournament prediction and he starts off by talking about Mexico’s chances of getting past the first round.

Group Stage

Juan Pablo: We are in Group A with South Africa, France and Uruguay.
Damian: What do you think?
JP: I think it’s a tough … group, not because of France because of South Africa, they’re playing home and Mexico usually behaves weirdly in the World Cup so they might panic… they might freak out of playing the first game of the World Cup but I think we are definitely going to make the second round.
DF: OK, so you think their chances of qualifying are pretty good?
JP: Yes, Uruguay qualified like, against … they didn’t qualify in the South America … play-off they had to play Costa Rica in CONCACAF to get a spot and historically Mexico always beats Uruguay. And also against France I’m not that worried because in the last three or four World Cups in the group … in the group stage, Mexico has always played well against the big teams like Italy and the Netherlands. We haven’t lost games against the big teams in the last three World Cups.

The Manager

DF: Can you tell us something about the manager of your team? Who’s the manager of the Mexican national team?

JP: The manager is Javier Aguirre. He was the manager in Korea/Japan World Cup and then he went to Spain to Atlético de Madrid he.. ah no, first he went to Osasuna and he got Osasuna in the Champions League for the first time in history and then he went to Atlético de Madrid and also he got Atlético de Madrid again in the Champions League spot and then he has to basically come back to Mexico and save the Mexican team who was really close to not qualify to the World Cup.
DF: Of course you had Sven Goran Eriksson, didn’t you as your manager. How was that seen in Mexico?
JP: That was a weird experience. We think that they… he just went to steal money there and the team did terrible and there’s also like… politics in Mexican football are really, really hard so I think a lot of players just basically boycott… Eriksson because there’s this belief in Mexico that the Mexican manager should be a Mexican because to do a good thing we need someone who understands our leagues so…

The Players

DF: So which players should we keep an eye out for in the World Cup? Which Mexican players will be starring for you?
JP: You should always keep an eye on Rafael Márquez from Barcelona even though he doesn’t really play well in the Mexican team but he scored against Argentina in the last World Cup so I think he will be doing well. We should also keep an eye on the Mexican players that were playing in the Premier League like Carlos Vela, he’s not even starting for Arsenal but he’s pretty good when he plays in the Mexican squad. Also Giovani dos Santos who was playing in Tottenham and then he went to Galatasaray but he’s a young star – he used to play in Barcelona. And now we have a … my friends from Mexico told me we have this new star called (Javier) “Chicharito” Hernández, he’s from Chivas so he’s scoring pretty… he’s scoring in the league a lot and in friendly matches so I think… I hope he’s going to be like … a big player. Never, never forget about Cuauhtémoc Blanco, he’s old but he’s always like the driving power of the team and he has a lot of experience and he’s like …other teams respect him so he’s gonna’ do well too.
DF: I must admit I didn’t think he was still playing, he’s playing in America… in North America yes?
JP: Yes, he’s playing in Chicago Fire but in the break… actually in the break, he’s in a break now so he has to go and play in the second division team in Mexico to be active but now he’s, like, more mature so I think he… he’s definitely is a very important part of the team.

Prediction

DF: Now if Mexico don’t win the World Cup which team do you think will win the World Cup?
JP: I might go for Spain but I think Spain … also tend to freak out in the last minute so I don’t know, I think it’s going to be again … again between Italy, Brazil and the usual teams because I think the competition just helps you to do that, like, to get really easy first stages to get into those … I really hope it’s Spain.
DF: Can you see a dark horse threatening?
JP: Mexico!

 

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Each week on languagecaster’s podcast we feature a main report and on this week’s show we feature the Champions League semi-finals. You can listen to the report by clicking above and can read the transcript below.

The second legs of the two semi-finals of the Champions League take place this week with both ties so delicately poised that football pundits are at a loss to predict a winner. Anyway, that has never stopped languagecaster before so here we go with a preview of the two games and of course our predictions!

When this season’s competition kicked off at the end of June, few would have predicted that the semi-finals would have four teams from four different countries taking part – none of them from England. Such was the domination of Premier League clubs that last season’s defeat of Manchester United in the final was simply seen as a blip. So, when the 76 teams from 52 different countries entered the competition way back in June of last year, it was yet again expected that Premier League sides would be challenging for the Europe’s top club tournament. But with Barcelona destroying Arsenal and Manchester United falling to Bayern Munich at the quarter-final stage, for the first time in five years there will be no team from the Premier League in the final, which this year will take place in Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu on May 22nd – the first ever time there will be a Saturday final. It will also be a tough night for Madrid fans for not only are their side unable to add to their record haul of nine titles but they may have to watch their dreaded rivals Barcelona retain the trophy on their home turf. And if it’s not the Catalan side, then they may well be haunted by one of two players that the Madrid team let go last summer for not being good enough: Wesley Schneider from Inter Milan and Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben. So, who is your money on to reach the 55th European Cup final? continue

 

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Each week on languagecaster’s podcast we feature a main report and on this week’s show we spotlight England in our look at countries taking part in the 2010 World cup in South Africa. You can listen to the report by clicking above and can read the transcript below.

England, the home of such icons of football as the FA cup, Wembley stadium and David Beckham, is the largest and most populous country in the United Kingdom. It is also the UK’s most successful nation in the World Cup: it won the competition in 1966, reached the semi-finals in 1990, and has got as far as the quarter-finals on six occasions. It is also, of course, the country which gave football to the world, and for many years felt no need to compete with other countries in the FIFA organized tournament. When it did finally choose to join the competition in 1950, the professionals of England were given a rude shock when the upstarts from the USA completed the “miracle on grass” and beat the self-appointed best team in the World 1-0 in Brazil. Ever since then England fans have experienced many more disappointments in the Cup, usually after failures in penalty shoot-outs.

England today is a very multi-cultural society, with inhabitants who can trace their roots back to all four corners of the globe. This is especially true in the top-tier of its football league. The English Premier League (EPL) now attracts many of the top players from Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas, and matches from the EPL are broadcast back to millions of TVs in the same regions. Top teams from the league, such as Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United are also household names around the world and have recently become dominant in European competitions. But where has this influx of foreign players and success in Europe left the national game in England?

Well two years ago, England failed to qualify for Euro 2008, which resulted in the manager, Steve McClaren, losing his job. The FA turned to a foreign coach for the second time to take charge of the national team. Fabio Cappello cracked down on discipline and revitalized the team. England went on to win 9 out of 10 games in its World Cup qualifying group, scoring a hatful of goals along the way. Under the Italian’s tenure, Rooney has blossomed as a striker, and Cappello has also brought about improved performances from the likes of Lennon, Milner and Walcott in wide positions, and Gerrard in midfield who had previously struggled to match his club form for country.

So how well will the current team perform this summer in the World Cup in South Africa? On paper, it has been drawn in a relatively easy group, facing the USA, Algeria and Slovenia in the first round. Even if the US can repeat the shock of 60 years ago, England should still get through to the knock-out stages where they could face a stiffer challenge from the likes Germany, Serbia or Ghana. Even so, expectations for further progress will remain high with many home fans and pundits alike predicting a semi-final place at the least. Whether they can manage this will greatly depend on weaknesses in the goalkeeping position and left side not being over-exposed, and of course better luck at scoring from the penalty spot.

Vocabulary

icon: symbol, hero, famous thing continue

 

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Each week on languagecaster’s podcast we feature a main report and on this week’s show we look ahead to the big match in Spain this week between Real Madrid and Barcelona. You can listen to the report by clicking above and can read the transcript below

Saturday sees one of the most important matches in world football when Real Madrid and Barcelona meet in Madrid’s Santiago Bernebeu Stadium. Of course we all know about the rivalry between these two sides – Barca claim to represent the region of Catalonia while Madrid are viewed as Spain’s team. But this season’s game has added spice. The two sides are locked together at the top of La Liga on 77 points – a massive 21 points ahead of third placed Valencia – with an almost identical goal difference, meaning that if there is a winner this weekend then they will go a long way to becoming champions. In addition to this, there is the battle between two players whose fans suggest that they are the best in the world – Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Leo Messi.

Messi vs Ronaldo

Messi has been receiving the plaudits after an amazing performance against Arsenal in the Champions League this week but that was no one off. He has scored 39 goals already this season with three hat-tricks in the league and has been consistently brilliant for Barca throughout. Ronaldo’s figures seem somewhat less impressive with a league tally of 18 though they have come in only 21 matches. Of course, there are other match winners in both sides. Gonzalo Higuain, another Argentinian, has scored 24 times this season for Madrid and will be hoping to add to that tally thanks to support from Xabi Alonso and Brazilian playmaker Kaka, though it looks like he could miss the game through injury. As for Barcelona they will be boosted by the return of Swedish striker Ibrahimovic and Spanish international Iniesta who will partner Xavi in midfield to ensure that Madrid will have to work extremely hard to gain possession of the ball.

Revenge

Madrid will also want to erase last season’s humiliation from their minds – they were thrashed 2-6 at home by a rampant Barca who went on to win the title. That day the Catalan side were unplayable but will find this Madrid team in top form – they are on a 12-game winning streak and have won all 15 of their league matches at home this season though Barcelona themselves have only lost once throughout the campaign. This promises to be a real thriller and predicting it is a hazardous job but I am going for a 2-1 away victory for Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.

 

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Each week on languagecaster’s podcast we feature a main report and on this week’s show we take a look at the second legs of the Champions League quarter finals.  You can listen to the report by clicking above. There is vocabulary support at the bottom of the post.

Next week, the eight teams left in the Champion League meet in the second legs hoping to progress to the semis. Let’s take the ties one by one.

First, Barcelona v Arsenal. In the first leg in London neutrals and Barca fans were left drooling as the Catalan side utterly dominated the English side in the first 45 minutes. In the whole game, they enjoyed 65% of the possession and had 23 shots compared to Arsenal’s 6. It’s difficult to pick a stand out player from the tie, but ironically perhaps it was Almunia the Arsenal goalkeeper who held back the tide and kept the Gunners in with a shout. At the Nou Camp it is hard to see how Arsenal can overcome the reigning European Champions, especially with their captain, Fabregas, out suspended and injured. Both sides will be missing their first choice centre backs, but Barcelona look better equipped to take advantage. 2-0 to Barcelona.

Second, CSKA Moscow v Inter. A slender 1-0 lead is all Inter can take to Moscow after a frustrating night in Milan. Inter were the better side and it looked like the Russian side had come for the draw. I wasn’t until the 65th minute that the Argentinian, Milito, broke the deadlock with a shot on the edge of the area. CSKA will be hoping that playing in front of their fans will help them, but Inter will be confident that they can progress, after all a goal from the Italian side will leave CSKA needing to score three. The sides met in the 2007 Champions League group stages and Inter won the tie in Moscow 2-1. A repeat of that would suit them.

Next, Bordeaux v Lyon. Bordeaux went into the tie complaining about a rescheduled game for Lyon that they suggested gave their opponents more time to recover for the clash, and the war of words off the pitch translated into a frenetic and pulsating tie that despite the 3-1 scoreline in favour of Lyon was much closer. The key moment was a penalty awarded to Lyon with 13 minutes to play. It was a controversial decision with Bordeaux’s Chalme adjudged to have handled in the area. For the return leg, Laurent Blanc’s side will have key defender Diarra back and with their away goal they are by no means out of this.

Finally, Manchester United v Bayern Munich. The German side surprised most pundits by beating United 2-1 at the Allianz Arena. The German side dominated United after falling behind to a Rooney strike in the second minute and United have their goalkeeper to thank for keeping the score so close. They were also perhaps lucky that Bayern’s in-form winger, Robben, wasn’t playing, as he would surely have stretched the United full backs more. The main talking point with the return leg, however, is the injury to Rooney. Can United pose a threat without him? At the same time, Bayern will probably have Robben and Schweinsteiger back. The German’s must fancy their chances of going through to the semis.

Vocabulary

left (fans) drooling: made fans admire them, played so well that fans were very impressed continue

 

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Each week on languagecaster’s podcast we feature a main report and on this week’s show we have an interview with an expert on Mexican football, Juan Pablo Camargo, who tells us all about the Primera División de México. You can listen to the report by clicking above.

DF: Now for this week’s main report we have a special guest interview with top Mexican football blogger Juan Pablo Camargo and is going to tell us all about the Mexican League. We met recently down by the River Thames here in London and I started by asking him about the structure of the Mexican league which often looks rather confusing to outsiders.

Juan Pablo: I think to understand the league you should think about it as maybe the North American leagues of baseball, no, or even American football I think that’s the most useful. Because we are divided in groups and we don’t play … for example in England you play for points and the one who has more points in the end wins. So in Mexico you just play and then you qualify to the play-offs. The first two teams of each group or three teams qualify to the play-offs and then in the play-off you can be a champion even though you qualified in the eighth place. continue

 

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This week we take a look at France’s Ligue 1. You can listen to the report by clicking above while vocabulary support can be found for the words in bold at the foot of the post.

Background

There are 20 teams in Ligue 1 and the current title holders are Bordeaux, who halted Olympique Lyonnais’ record run of seven straight titles victories last year. Every year, three teams are relegated and three promoted, and this year Lens, Montpellier and Boulogne replaced Caen, Nantes and le Havre.

The contenders

Currently, there are six teams withing three points of each other at the top of Ligue 1, making the run-in to the season a very exciting one. Champions, Bordeaux are in pole position on 53 points and a game in hand over their rivals. But the club from the south west of France have only managed to pick up one win in six games and have lost momentum. A team with momentum is Auxerre in third place on 51 points with five wins in six, including a win over leaders Bordeaux. they sit one point behind surprise package Montpellier, newly relegated and impressing everyone with their confident attacking style. can they overhaul Bordeaux and stop the Champions adding to their six titles, or will they fade and let more established clubs like Lyon and Marseilles in fifth and sixth respectively contest for the title? last year’s fourth place finishers Lille sit in fourth place at this stage of the season on 51 points and have been solid performers in recent seasons and will be hoping to qualify for the Champions League at least this season.

At the bottom

At the foot of the table it looks a lot clearer. Grenoble, just south east of Lyon and St Etienne, look doomed to go down. They have just 14 points, 15 points from safety. And probably joining them will be Le Mans on 21 points, and Boulogne on 20. Le mans may hold out some hope that St Etienne, 7 points ahead of them will slip up again and drop further and that the team from the centre of France can win its game in hand to further close the gap, but it doesn’t look promising. These three teams will most likely be playing in Ligue 2 next season.

Europe

This season has been a good one for French clubs, but not outstanding. They have two representatives left in the Champions League quarter final stages – Lyon and Bordeaux. Lyon of course stunned European giants Real Madrid 2-1 on aggregate showing that money doesn’t always buy success, and they shouldn’t fear anyone. However, history says bet against them progressing as they’ve appeared 11 times in the Champions League but have never got further than the quarter final stage. Bordeaux booked their place in the last eight with a 3-1 aggregate win over Olympiacos. On paper, not as impressive as Lyon’s victory, but like Lyon, they won both legs of the tie. Their one worry could be losing focus in the league by concentrating on Europe. While the two clubs have done well to get this far, I don’t expect them to make it through to the semi finals.

In the Europa League things were looking quite good until this week when Ligue 1’s last representatives, Lille and Marseille were knocked out by Liverpool and Benfica respectively.

So overall better than last year, but only a semi-final place in the Champions League would really make people sit up and take note. And whose going to win the league? For football romantics, a Montpellier win would be great, but I think it will be back to back wins for Bordeaux.

Vocabulary

current: at the present time, reigning

the run in: the final stretch, the last part, nearly the end

surprise package: an unexpectedly strong team

solid performers: consistent, not outstanding/fantastic, but regularly good

slip up: make a mistake, fail

book a place: win in a competition so that you go through to the next round

sit up and take note: take seriously, be interested in