2010–11 Ligue 1

Entering the season, Marseille were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 21 May 2010 and the season began on 7 August and ended on 29 May 2011. The winter break was in effect between 23 December and 15 January 2011. There were three promoted teams from Ligue 2, replacing the three teams that were relegated from Ligue 1 following the 2009–10 season. A total of 20 teams currently competes in the league with three clubs suffering relegation to the second division, Ligue 2. All clubs that secured Ligue 1 status for the season were subject to approval by the DNCG before becoming eligible to participate. 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.

Lille clinched the league title on 21 May 2011 with one match to spare after drawing 2–2 with Paris Saint-Germain away at the Parc des Princes. The title was the club's third overall and its first in over 57 years. As a result of Lille also winning the Coupe de France during the season, the club became the third different club in three consecutive seasons to win some form of the double in France. In 2009, Bordeaux captured the league and league cup double and, in the following season, Marseille did the same.

 

 

Arles

 

Auxerre

 

Bordeaux

 

Brest

 

Caen

 

Lens      

 

Lille

 

Lorient

 

Lyon

 

Marseille

 

Monaco

 

Montpellier

 

Nancy

 

Nice

 

PSG

 

Rennes

 

St. Étienne

 

Sochaux

 

Toulouse

 

Valenciennes

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Location of teams in Ligue 1 2010–11

On 19 April, Caen drew 0–0 with Nîmes. The draw assured Caen a return to Ligue 1 after falling down to Ligue 2 the previous season. On 30 April, Brest secured promotion to Ligue 1, for the first time since being administratively relegated in 1991, following stalemates in matches involving Metz and Clermont. Brest capped the promotion by defeating Tours 2–0 on the same day. On 14 May, on the final day of the Ligue 2 season, Arles-Avignon became the last Ligue 2 club to achieve promotion to the first division. The club defeated fourth-place club Clermont 1–0 at home to earn promotion. The club had achieved promotion to Ligue 2 from the third-tier Championnat National the previous season meaning the club has jumped two divisions in just two seasons.

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 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.

Stadia and locations

On 17 May 2010, the Ligue de Football Professionnel announced that, for the first time in French football history, two clubs, Lorient and Nancy, would switch the surface of their football pitch from grass to artificial turf. This type of surface is common in North America and Eastern Europe, but is considered rare in Western Europe. Both clubs attributed the switch to weather and ecological problems with severe cold fronts affecting their regions every winter. The switch would, in turn, reduce energy costs and also avoid cancellations of matches due to a frozen pitch. Also, in Lorient's case, a constant proliferation of earthworms onto their pitch over the past two seasons had led to a rapid deterioration of the ground, which has forced the club to spend as much as €2 million to replace it. Both clubs previously toured Russia, Austria, and Norway to become better acclimated with the surface.

¹Source: As of 26 April 2011

Personnel and kits

Team	Manager1	Captain1	Kit Manufacturer1	Main Sponsor1
Arles-Avignon	Faruk Hadžibegić	Sébastien Piocelle	Uhlsport	Boulangerie Marie
Auxerre	Jean Fernandez	Benoît Pedretti	Airness	Nasùba Express
Bordeaux	Jean Tigana	Alou Diarra	Puma	Kia
Brest	Alex Dupont	Oscar Ewolo	Nike	Quéguiner
Caen	Franck Dumas	Nicolas Seube	Nike	GDE Recyclage
Lens	László Bölöni	Adil Hermach	Reebok	Invicta
Lille	Rudi Garcia	Rio Mavuba	Umbro	Groupe Partouche
Lorient	Christian Gourcuff	Fabien Audard	Duarig	La trinitaine
Lyon	Claude Puel	Cris	Adidas	BetClic
Marseille	Didier Deschamps	Steve Mandanda	Adidas	BetClic
Monaco	Laurent Banide	Stéphane Ruffier	Macron	Fedcom
Montpellier	René Girard	Nenad Džodić	Nike	Dyneff
Nancy	Pablo Correa	Gennaro Bracigliano	Umbro	Odalys Vacances
Nice	Eric Roy	Julien Sablé	Lotto	Mad-Croc
Paris Saint-Germain	Antoine Kombouaré	Claude Makélélé	Nike	Emirates
Rennes	Frédéric Antonetti	Kader Mangane	Puma	Samsic
Saint-Étienne	Christophe Galtier	Loïc Perrin	Adidas	Winamax
Sochaux	Francis Gillot	Jérémie Bréchet	Lotto	Peugeot
Toulouse	Alain Casanova	Mauro Cetto	Airness	IDEC
Valenciennes	Philippe Montanier	Rudy Mater	Nike	Toyota

¹ Subject to change during the season.

Managerial changes

Team	Outgoing head coach	Manner of departure	Date of vacancy	Position in table	Incoming head coach	Date of appointment	Position in table
Bordeaux	Laurent Blanc	Mutual consent	16 May 2010	Off-season	Jean Tigana	25 May 2010	Off-season
Arles-Avignon	Michel Estevan	Sacked	16 September 2010	20th	Faruk Hadžibegić	2 October 2010	20th
Lens	Jean-Guy Wallemme	Resigned	2 January 2011	19th	László Bölöni	2 January 2011	19th
Monaco	Guy Lacombe	Sacked	10 January 2011	17th	Laurent Banide	10 January 2011	17th
Bordeaux	Jean Tigana	Resigned	7 May 2011	9th	Eric Bédouet	7 May 2011	9th