Ligue 1 Talk

What is the best league in the world? EPL? Liga BBVA? Serie A?

This is obviously a controversial question, one that has no absolute answer.  In many regards, it is an overused topic for discussion.  However, the discussions are always narrow minded…

“This league has won the Champions League the most times!”

“Yeah? Well this one has the FIFA World Player of the Year and the Ballon d’Or winner!”

“Hello! My league has the most money and fans!”

…and it goes on. However, these discussions are nearly always arguments between the proponents of the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A, with the Bundesliga occasionally sneaking in. I have a new answer, one that I have never seen in any branch of the media. My answer is, you guessed it: Ligue 1, Le Championnat, the French League. Whatever you want to call it, it’s the one.

Let’s start with the fact that France does and always has had arguably the best pool of talent in the world, possibly eclipsed only by Argentina and/or Brazil. I’ve got a lot of sources to dig out if I’m challenged, but lets just let that one sit a little while. You may ask why France only has one Coupe du Monde to it’s name, and I’d answer you with a rant about Raymond Domenech and all sorts of other factors. Anyway, all those players were developed and spent their early careers in Ligue 1. Says something about a league, doesn’t it?

Ligue 1 is also the landing point in Europe for talent from the African continent. Think about Michael Essien and Didier Drogba.  Frederic Kanoute and Mamadou Diarra.  Stephane Sessegnon,  Cristian Romaric, Seydou Keita… the list is endless.

It is not only a first European foothold for African players. Ronaldinho, Marcelo Gallardo, Cesar Delgado, Caçapa, Cris, Deivid, Edmilson, Fernando Menegazzo, Grafite, Juninho, Maicon, Rai, Nilmar, Mario Yepes, Luis Fabiano and Rafael Marquez all started their European careers in Ligue 1 and that’s only scratching the surface. It’s a pretty spectacular list.

Ligue 1 is also the league that sends many other players from outside Europe or from smaller countries to the big time. Players from Eastern Europe along with those from Africa or South America who started in smaller leagues appear on the major European stage and make their names while in Ligue 1.  One of the first that comes to mind is Yaya Toure.

This makes for a feverishly exciting league atmosphere, one full of budding stars. I’ll conclude this entry with a video, to be found here.

Read more when part two arrives this weekend.

Filed under: Ligue 1 Commentary Tagged: | Ligue 1