The 2010–11 Ligue 2 season was the 72nd since its establishment. Caen were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 22 May 2010 and the season began on 6 August and ended on 27 May 2011. The winter break would be in effect between 22 December and 14 January 2011. There were three promoted teams from the Championnat National, replacing the three teams that were relegated from Ligue 2 following the 2009–10 season. A total of 20 teams currently competes in the league with three clubs suffering relegation to the third division, the Championnat National. All clubs that secured Ligue 2 status for the season were subject to approval by the DNCG before becoming eligible to participate.The DNCG is responsible for overseeing the legal and financial accounts of professional football clubs in France. If clubs operating in French football don't meet the DNCG's expectations, they can face sanctions, such as relegation. In addition, German sportswear company Puma, whom the Ligue de Football Professionnel share a partnership with, provided a brand new match ball for the new season.
Teams
Grenoble was the first club to suffer relegation to Ligue 2. The club's impending drop occurred on 10 April 2010 following the team's 4–0 defeat to Toulouse. On 3 May 2010, both US Boulogne and Le Mans were relegated to Ligue 2 following defeats. Le Mans relegation was confirmed following their 3–2 loss away to Nancy, while Boulogne suffered relegation after losing 1–0 to Saint-Étienne, who both Boulogne and Le Mans were trailing. Having earned promotion to Ligue 1 the previous season, Boulogne's return to Ligue 2 meant a short-lived stay in the highest division. Due to suffering relegation to Ligue 2, Le Mans will unveil their new logo and new name, Le Mans Football Club, as well as their new stadium, MMArena, while playing in the second division.
In the Championnat National, Évian was the first club to achieve promotion to Ligue 2 after defeating Amiens 1–0 on 16 April. On 7 May, Stade Reims made their return to Ligue 2 after one season in the Championnat National following a convincing 4–2 win over Luzenac. With Troyes drawing with Cannes the same day, Reims' second-place position and promotion was secured. The following week, the final club in National achieved promotion to Ligue 2 with Troyes' 2–0 win over Cassis Carnoux.
Teams relegated to Ligue 2 Le Mans Boulogne Grenoble
Teams promoted to Ligue 2 Évian Reims Troyes
Stadia and locations
After earning promotion to Ligue 2 for the 2010–11 season, Évian were rumored to be pursuing a move to play their home matches at the Stade de la Praille in Geneva, Switzerland after it was determined that their current facility, the Stade Joseph-Moynat, did not meet the Ligue de Football Professionnel's standards. Thonon-les-Bains, the commune where the club situates itself, is a few kilometers from the Swiss border and is only , a 45-minute car drive, from the city of Geneva. It was reported that the club's president, Patrick Trotignon, had been in the process of advocating for the move since the beginning of the 2009–10 Championnat National season just in case the club had achieved promotion to the second division. The vice-president of Swiss club Servette FC, who occupy the stadium, questioned the move citing possible schedule conflicts, as well as the health of the pitch if both clubs were to use the stadium on a weekly basis. However, his claims were refuted by Benoît Genecand, who serves as president of Fondation du Stade de Genève (FSG), which owns and operates the facility. The club responded immediately to Genecand's comments via a press release posted on the club's official website.
Évian petitioned to the State Council of Geneva and obtained approval from the LFP for the move in early May. On 20 May 2010, Évian received a favorable ruling from the French Football Federation with the Federal Council voting in favor of the move. According to the federation, the move now had to be agreed upon by a UEFA executive committee, which is composed of seventeen officials. On 8 June, UEFA officially denied Évian's request to play at the Stade de la Praille meaning the club will likely play its home matches at the Parc des Sports in nearby Annecy.
Club Location Venue Capacity Average attendance1AjaccioStade François Coty 10,660 3,280AngersStade Jean Bouin 17,100 6,292Boulogne-sur-MerStade de la Libération 15,004 8,581ChâteaurouxStade Gaston Petit 17,173 6,082Clermont-FerrandStade Gabriel Montpied 10,363 3,993DijonStade Gaston Gérard 9,111 5,751AnnecyParc des Sports2 12,500 4,674GrenobleStade des Alpes 20,068 5,235IstresStade Parsemain 17,468 1,824LavalStade Francis Le Basser 18,739 5,557Le HavreStade Jules Deschaseaux 16,454 7,380Le MansMMArena3 25,000 8,826NantesStade de la Beaujoire 38,285 11,270NîmesStade des Costières 18,482 6,392MetzStade Municipal Saint-Symphorien 26,700 7,389ReimsStade Auguste-Delaune II 22,000 8,184SedanStade Louis Dugauguez 23,189 8,952ToursStade de la Vallée du Cher 13,500 6,287TroyesStade de l'Aube 21,877 8,877VannesStade de la Rabine 8,000 3,687 1Source 2Temporary facility as current home stadia, the Stade Joseph-Moynat, doesn't meet the LFP's stadium criteria. 3Replaced the Stade Léon-Bollée in January 2011.
Personnel and kits
Team Manager1 Captain1 Kit Manufacturer1 Shirt Sponsor1Ajaccio Thierry DebèsDuarigGéantAngers Grégory MalickiUmbroNext GenerationBoulogne Grégory ThilUhlsportBoostyleChâteauroux Didier Tholot Vincent FernandezNikeLe SeyecClermont Michaël FabreKappaClermont-FerrandDijon Sebastián RibasNikeSita-SuezÉvian Cédric BarbosaDuarigDirect 8Grenoble Nicolas DieuzeNikeFlash KadoIstres Gary CoulibalyDuarigKertelLaval Johann ChapuisDuarigLactelLe Havre Hassane AllaAirnessSystem ULe Mans Didier OvonoKappaLOUÉNantes Stéphane Darbion KappaProfil+Nîmes Benoît PoulainErreàMac DanMetz Romain BrégerieKappaPeugeotReims Cédric FauréLottoIDECSedan Jérôme LemoigneNikeInvictaTours Julien CardyDuarigRica Lewis GroupeTroyes Gaël SanzDuarigUrbanéoVannes Patrick LeugueunAdidasBreizh Cola
1 Subject to change during the season.
Managerial changes
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyTableIncoming managerDate of appointmentTableReims Marc CollatMutual consent16 May 2010Off-season Hubert Fournier18 May 2010Off-seasonChâteauroux Jean-Pierre PapinResigned18 May 2010Off-season Didier Tholot1 June 2010Off-seasonMetz Joël MullerMutual consent14 May 2010Off-season Dominique Bijotat4 June 2010Off-seasonTroyes Patrick RémyMutual consent22 June 2010Off-season Jean-Marc Furlan23 June 2010Off-season
In-season
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyTableIncoming managerDate of appointmentTableGrenoble Mehmed BaždarevićMutual consent1 September 201020th Yvon Pouliquen6 September 201020thNîmes Jean-Michel CavalliContract terminated8 November 201017th Noël Tosi8 November 201017thBoulogne Laurent GuyotContract terminated27 December 201012th Michel Estevan30 December 201012thNîmes Noël TosiContract terminated2 March 201117th Thierry Froger2 March 201117thNantes Baptiste GentiliResigned6 March 201115th Philippe Anziani6 March 201115th
League table
Results
Statistics
Top goalscorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Sebastián RibasDijon232 Thorstein HelstadLe Mans213 Sloan PrivatClermont204 Julien ToudicReims165 Grégory ThilBoulogne156 Nassim AkrourIstres147 Guie AbrahamTours13 Brice JovialLe Havre9 Filip ĐorđevićNantes12 Jean-François RivièreAjaccio Richard SocrierAjaccio Jérôme LeboucLaval Last updated: 25 May 2011 Source: Official Goalscorers' Standings
Assists table
RankPlayerClubAssists1 Rudy HaddadChâteauroux102 Lossémy KarabouéSedan93 Kevin LejeuneTours8 Jérôme LeboucLaval Christian KinkelaAjaccio6 Romain AlessandriniClermont7 Johan CavalliAjaccio Claudiu KeșerüAngers9 Vincent GragnicReims6 Last updated: 25 May 2011 Source: Official Assists' Table
Awards
Yearly
The nominees for the Ligue 2 Player of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, and Manager of the Year. The winners were determine at the annual UNFP Awards, which was held on 22 May. The winners will be displayed in bold.
Ligue 2 Player of the Year PlayerNationalityClubBenjamin Corgnet FranceDijonRudy Haddad FranceChâteaurouxSloan Privat FranceClermontSebastián Ribas UruguayDijon
Goalkeeper of the Year PlayerNationalityClubBenoît Costil FranceSedanBertrand Laquait FranceÉvianGrégory Malicki FranceAngersJohny Placide HaitiLe Havre
Manager of the Year PlayerNationalityClubPatrice Carteron FranceDijonBernard Casoni FranceÉvianLandry Chauvin FranceSedanOlivier Pantaloni FranceAjaccio
Team of the Year PositionPlayerClub GK Benoît Costil Sedan RB Sébastien Corchia Le Mans CB Grégory Cerdan Le Mans CB Benjamin Genton Le Havre LB Cédric Fabien Boulogne CM Romain Alessandrini Clermont CM Olivier Sorlin Evian AM Rudy Haddad Châteauroux AM Benjamin Corgnet Dijon FW Sebastian Ribas Dijon FW Sloan Privat Clermont
List of 2010–11 transfers
Attendances
# Club Average Highest 1 Nantes 11,444 17,400 2 Le Mans 10,322 24,375 3 Troyes 9,368 17,093 4 Metz 9,150 24,482 5 Sedan 8,975 19,199 6 Reims 8,940 17,037 7 Boulogne 8,834 12,726 8 Dijon 7,457 14,405 9 Le Havre 7,296 9,012 10 Angers 6,485 10,576 11 Nîmes 6,474 7,567 12 Châteauroux 6,142 9,086 13 Tours 6,109 10,052 14 Stade lavallois 5,654 8,395 15 Évian 5,555 12,298 16 Grenoble 5,251 6,370 17 Clermont 4,180 6,438 18 Vannes 3,841 6,215 19 Ajaccio 3,422 4,555 20 Istres 1,874 2,784Source:
References
External links Official site