Winning & Losing A Title In The Boardroom.

By: chris | May 6th, 2009

I don’t spend a great deal of time contemplating the French domestic scene, yet Monday morning I took a look at the table and was shocked to see Lyon had not only dropped out of serious title contention but they’re also in danger of missing the Champions League altogether after an embarrassing 2-0 loss to Valenciennes on the weekend. OL being the club which, Rip Van Winkle, has won the last seven titles in France. Forget that Marseille are top of the table – Lyon losing the title is far bigger news than the eventual champions.

And by yesterday that same club which has assumed, by the slimmest of margins, their spot atop the table stole Lyon’s thunder yet again – though I’m sure this time they’re thankful.

News leaked during the middle of last week that Eric Geret’s, Marseille’s gaffer, would be stepping down at the end of the season – something he’d previously told his players. Considering his rumbles with management, it wasn’t a surprise. What was a surprise, however, is that Marseille’s suits would allow the coach which may break Lyon’s stranglehold on Ligue 1 to walk – particularly when Marseille’s last title was stripped for following Romanian footballing blueprints (see: cheating).

And today his replacement was announced – just four games left to the closing curtain and the southerners only leading Bordeaux by a solitary goal in the differential column. The replacement is quite a good one in Didier Deschamps, the man who lead Monaco to the Champions League final in his first stint as a head coach, then brought Juventus back from their Serie B penance during his lone year in the peninsula.

There is a slight problem, though. In both Torino and Monaco – I’m suddenly realizing Didier’s desire for a short drive to the Mediterranean coast – he resigned at least partially due to disagreements with the board.

You can see where his Marseille tenure is headed.

But that’s not the problem. The problem is the timing of the announcement. Gerets’ move is understandable, as winning one for the coach is the perfect motivational tool. But there’s no need for the players to be asked about Didier Deschamps each and every day, to have to try and eliminate that from their psyches while focusing solely on the massive task ahead of becoming The Team which finally dethrones Lyon. It wouldn’t be the first time a team has faltered under the weight of a future blueprint, and they certainly wouldn’t be the last. Of course it’s far from certain, but why even entertain the possibility? The announcement could’ve waited. The title, however, will not.

Which is precisely why now would be a good time to throw that money on Bordeaux as the 2008-09 Non-Lyon Ligue 1 champions.