Bordeaux clinch first Ligue 1 title in 10 years
PARIS (Reuters) - Girondins Bordeaux clinched their first Ligue 1 title in 10 years when a Yoan Gouffran goal earned them a 1-0 win at Caen on Saturday.
The Aquitaine side, who were last champions in 1999, finished the season with 80 points, three ahead of Olympique Marseille, 4-0 winners over Stade Rennes at their Stade Velodrome.
Gouffran headed home from a Benoit Tremoulinas cross four minutes into the second half as Bordeaux bagged their 11th consecutive league win.
The midfielder was not in a mood to celebrate since his goal sent his former team, where he started his professional career six years ago, to Ligue 2.
"It''s a particular feeling. I am actually a bit upset because last year I was with them," Gouffran told French TV channel Canal Plus. "Right now, they are crying and I am not in the mood (to celebrate)."
Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc, a 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 winner with France, added: "Tonight, it is a great satisfaction for the lads. We did what we had to do to get there, with these 11 wins in a row."
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Olympique Lyon, who had won the last seven titles, ended third after a goalless draw at Toulouse and will play in the Champions League qualifying round.
Toulouse, fourth, and fifth-placed Lille, who beat Nancy 3-2, will take part in the Europa League as Bordeaux''s League Cup win freed a place in the former UEFA Cup.
Paris St Germain missed out on a Europa League spot on goal difference after being held to a goalless draw by Monaco.
Bafetimbi Gomis scored two and set up another as St Etienne saved their place in the top flight with a 4-0 blasting of Valenciennes.
Eight-times champions Nantes were relegated despite a 2-1 home win against AJ Auxerre, along with Caen and Le Havre.
Nantes fans threw their season tickets to the pitch in a sign of anger as their team were dropped only a year after winning promotion from Ligue 2.
Marseille had to beat Rennes and hope for Bordeaux to lose but their victory was not enough to give the Provence side their first silverware since they were last champions in 1992.
They stuck to their end of the deal, blasting past Rennes with a Mamadou Niang double, a Bakari Kone goal and an own goal from Rennes keeper Nicolas Douchez in the second half.
"We would have deserved to be champions but obviously, it is not tonight that we missed out on the title tonight," said Senegal striker Niang.
RC Lens, Montpellier and Boulogne-sur-Mer were promoted from Ligue 2.