Laurent Blanc is flavour of the month at the moment after winning the league with Bordeaux and currently standing top of his Champions League group, which contains Juventus and Bayern Munich.

Back in May, RoM looked at the reasons why Blanc should replace Sir Alex Ferguson, but Eric Cantona wants him to be the next manager of France.

Click to continue reading...

We continue to edge closer to United related news, but this was too difficult to pass up. When the King speaks we have to listen:

"I think that Raymond Domenech is the worst coach in French football since Louis XVI. If it was up to me, I'd put (Bordeaux coach) Laurent Blanc in charge of the France team," the former Manchester United hero continued.

Click to continue reading...

The appetite for commentary on the farce in Paris still seems strong, and I thought Arsene Wenger had a very wise take on the entire situation today.� Wenger is, obviously, a French supporter and very close with Henry.� In fairness to the Irish fans, the world football community, and for the sake of Henry, he called for the game to be replayed.

Click to continue reading...

Redknapp sets sights on high profile wing wizard.

Spurs and Portsmouth both want to sign Marseille's Hatem Ben Arfa who has fallen out with Didier Deschamps and his shiny black leather jacket. Ben Arfa has accused Deschamps of "breaking his balls". Deschamps says he didn't break his balls, they were already broken and actually he was only trying to fix them and he may have slightly chipped one while he was doing it but it's not his fault if his balls are actually quite badly made and frankly quite cheap in the first place.

Click to continue reading...

On this episode of the EPL Talk Podcast, host Kartik Krishnaiyer and French Football expert Dave Trotter discuss one of the most controversial football stories of the year — the Thierry Henry handball incident for France against Ireland which ended up knocking the Republic Of Ireland out of the World Cup qualifying match while France will be making their way to South Africa next summer.

Click to continue reading...

I'll admit that hearing many a pundit say that a World Cup without France would lose some of its bite made my blood boil. � I have nothing against French Football, and in fact cheered for them in each of their four knock out stage matches of Germany 2006.

But from my perspective an Irish defeat today in Paris would be a defeat for football.

Click to continue reading...

Lio Messi won the Onze d'Or award given by French football magazine Onze Mondial.

Messi was honored by the magazine as the best player in 2009.

Another day, another award for Messi.

Click to continue reading...

Two of the giants of French football went head to head in what was one of the best games in recent years.

Join Our Facebook Fan Page for the Latest News/Rumours/Forums/Videos/WAGS/Funny Stuff/Features!

Don't forget to check out Online Football Manager!

Click to continue reading...

It seemed that every year you'd hear Paul Doyle on the Football Weekly podcast give his Ligue Un summary with everyone dozing off as he concluded that Lyon were pulling away to win their next inevitable title even though they'd long been jacked out of the Champions League.
That changed last year, with Bordeaux winning the league, and French football has been on a tear since. Click to continue reading...

The Fédération Française de Football (FFF),� France's governing football body, this week made the peculiar decision to include Gael Kakuta in their U19 squad for next week's� Limoges� Tournament.� You'll recall the FFF were instrumental in getting Kakuta banned for four months by FIFA as part of the Chelsea transfer ban.

Click to continue reading...

Just some random odds and ends for you to read as you bide your time waiting for Lyon's Champions League clash with Liverpool.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

< Sid's Serious Captain-y Face.

If you're wondering why the captain's armband showed up on Cris last Saturday, despite Sidney Govou also being on the pitch, it's because our dear (former?

Click to continue reading...

French Ligue 1 have become one of the strongest leagues in Europe during the last few years and it is constantly justifying its reputation. Round 10 this season was supposed to bring us the biggest derby of French football but the OM-PSG derby was postponed because two PSG players had contracted the swine flu.

Click to continue reading...

Wenger interested in French midfield starlet.

Join Our Facebook Fan Page for the Latest News/Rumours/Forums/Videos/WAGS/Funny Stuff/Features!

Although only 19 years of age and having played only 9 games in Ligue 2 (French Second Division) to defend the colors of the modest Clermont (on loan from Rennes), the young French striker Yacine Brahimi has begun to monopolize a great deal of speculation.

Click to continue reading...

The French Football Magazine "Onze" has made public the 57candidates in which the public can vote to make up the "ideal"11 Team for 2009, Best Player for 2009 & Best Coach 2009.The notable news is that six REAL MADRID & up to 10FC BARCELONA players are included in the list, includingGuardiola as "Best Coach". Click to continue reading...

Considered the pinnacle of personal awards in Football, the Ballon d'Or has had a rich history through out the last quarter of a century, indeed no other award can lay claim to the influence the Ballon d'Or has had. Be it the transformation of great players into legendary players or influencing the transfer policies of some of the world's biggest club.

Click to continue reading...

Wenger target wants Premier League move.

Watch England vs Belarus Live Online!

Tracked by clubs like Everton or Chelsea, the International Beninese PSG, Stéphane Sessegnon could eventually soar to Arsenal. Indeed, when asked about the growing interest of the London club for his client, the agent of former player of Le Mans, Kaba Rudy replied: "I think a transfer in January would be difficult because it goes play the African Cup of Nations with Benin.

Click to continue reading...

As the selección converge on Ezeiza from all corners of the world (well, western Europe) for the final, must-not-balls-up-this-time double-header of World Cup qualifiers against Peru (Saturday in El Monumental) and Uruguay (a week on Wednesday in Montevideo's Estadio Centenario), it's heartening that some of them have had more auspicious weekends than Carlos Tevez, who [. Click to continue reading...

Beleaguered French boss, Raymond Domenech is questioned widely in the French football circles for his tactics and abilities to guide France to the World Cup Finals in 2010. France is struggling to reach the Finals and may have to go through the ordeal of a play-off to get to South Africa.
Though vilified by fans and players, one person remain an ardent admirer of the French national team manager. Click to continue reading...

The biggest threat to football's credibility in modern times Following Michele Platini's goal against Fulham last month, OTP can now lift the lid on another Brazilian player pretending to be a French superstar. Meet Makelele - or Leandro dos Santos de Jesus to his parents - of Brazilian outfit Coritiba. Click to continue reading...

A French football fan attacked in Belgrade this month, apparently by Serb hooligans, has died in hospital.

Brice Taton, 28, was attacked in a Belgrade bar ahead of the Europa League match between Partizan Belgrade and Toulouse on 17 September.

Click to continue reading...

Stade Rennais or Rennes is one of the oldest clubs in France having been founded in 1901 but despite spending 49 seasons in the top division of French football, Les Bretons are yet to win the Ligue 1 title. They have won two French Cups, last of which was won in 1971, but considering how much progress the club has made during the past few years, I feel it is only a matter of time before they win their first league title.

Click to continue reading...

Bizarre!

Le Havre midfielder Kevin Anin claims he still hopes to become a Premier League performer despite snubbing the overtures of Tottenham in the summer.

The Ligue 2 forward had an opportunity to join Spurs on loan after catching the eye of boss Harry Redknapp during a two-day trial.

Click to continue reading...

Cantona The Rebel Who Would Be King is the new biography of Eric Cantona by the French football journalist Philippe Auclair. Auclair has interviewed every key player in Cantona's life to produce a biography that reveals, for the first time, the heart and inner thoughts of the King.

Click to continue reading...

Ligue Un kicked off last weekend, and champions Bordeaux opened their title defence in style, romping to a 4-1 win over promoted Lens. This set a new Ligue Un record - Les Girondins had secured their 12th successive league victory. The previous record of 11 consecutive top-flight wins was set by Lille 60 years ago.

Click to continue reading...

Editors note: Due to technological problems, the first issue of Vive le Foot was delayed until today. Today's column should have run last Friday, before the season began. Not to worry, we're now caught up and our Fearless Frenchman shall return on Friday to preview the upcoming weekend's fixtures. Click to continue reading...

Here at SPAOTP, we're eternally grateful for your continuing support of our blog and to show our appreciation, we thought we'd provide you with a little gift to download and enjoy.
In association with our new French football round-up Jeu du Jour, we give you our Official SPAOTP Ligue 1 Ladder. Click to continue reading...

What a difference a year makes. Against odds, FC Bordeaux dethroned Ligue 1's 7 time consecutive champions Lyon to lift the Ligue 1 trophy. With 12 wins on the trot at the tail end of the season, FC Bordeaux secured a top dog status with its first league title in a decade. Along with the Coupe De La Ligue crown to secure a league and cup double, les Girodins wagged its tail at fellow title hopefuls Marseille and Lyon - leaving the former chasing tails and the latter stuck with its tail between its legs.

Click to continue reading...

With Lyon finally knocked off their lofty perch by Laurent Blanc's fantastically well drilled Bordeaux side last season, there is a feeling that this season's Ligue Un title race might just be the most open in years.

With Claude Puel's side looking to regain the crown they had held in a vice-like grip for seven seasons in a row, Blanc's men will have their work cut out to retain their title, and with traditional powerhouses Marseille & Paris Saint-Germain looking to continue the excellent progress made last season under new coaches Didier Deschamps & Antoine Kombouaré respectively, not to mention the impressive underdogs of Lille & Toulouse lurking, French football has lot going for it at the moment.

Click to continue reading...

Never say we don't keep you up-to-date with football news from around the world... Here's another new feature for SPAOTP - Jeu du Jour, a weekly round-up of all that's happening in French football. The new season starts this Saturday, so here's our preview of what to expect from each of the twenty participating clubs in 2009/10. Click to continue reading...

Seems very pricey to me. I realise he's only 19 but we have been burnt too many times in recent seasons on young players with potential. To be honest, I'm not an expert on the lad or French football in general but he does seem to have only had the one good season which was last year when Toulouse finished 4th.

Click to continue reading...

The Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club is a Monegasque football club founded in 1924. Although the club is in Monaco, it has always competed in the French football structure and� is one of the most successful clubs in French football, with seven league titles and five French Cup titles. AS Monaco has also had [. Click to continue reading...

This transfer window is over for Lyon after the club signed Saint Etienne's Bafetimbi Gomis for a fee which could rise to €15 million. The powerful striker will sign a five-year contract with Gerland outfit and he is set to partner Lisandro Lopez in newly shaped attack.

Click to continue reading...

Aly's Break-out Performances this Year in the CL this Past Season Put Him On the Radar of Some the Biggest Clubs in Europe.
When Aly Cissokho left France back in June '08 , probably only a handful of people- including himself- were even aware, and even fewer in Portugal to be sure.

Click to continue reading...

Breaking News
Manchester United have announced the signing of Mame Biram Diouf, a 21yr old striker from FC Molde for an undisclosed fee.
Diouf will remain at FC Molde until January and then join up with his new teamates in the next transfer window. Diouf has been with Molde for 3 seasons scoring 38 times in 73 appearances for the Norwegian club. Click to continue reading...

Lyon fans were disappointed with the departures of team's key players, Juninho and Benzema after the end of last season but it seems that Jean-Michel Aulas will manage to create a team capable of challenging for honours. After the capture of Argentinean striker Lisandro Lopez, Les Gones are set to snatch the hottest prospect in French football, Lille's Michel Bastos.

Click to continue reading...