French Recap: Ligue 1 Season Ends with a Riot in Nantes vs McKenzie’s Toulouse

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And so ends the Ligue 1 season in France. It was a wild time in Nantes with no goals scored but there were nine in Strasbourg.

Nantes 0 – 0 Toulouse

Mark McKenzie was back in the starting line-up for Toulouse when they travelled to take on already relegated Nantes in the Loire Valley. Like all 22 players, he only lasted 22 minutes because the game was abandoned after the Nantes fans started throwing flares and pyro onto the field. Hundreds of ultras then invaded the field in masks and balaclavas.

The violence broke out after the teams made their way into their dressing rooms and the riot police entered the stadium in an attempt to bring order back in the stadium so that the game could resume. For safety reasons however, referee Stephanie Frappart eventually called the game off due to safety reasons.

Toulouse ended their season 10th place, so miss out on competing in Europe next season.

Strasbourg 5 – 4 Monaco

Folarin Balogun started up front for Monaco in this goal fest in Strasbourg. The American, who was not among the goals, put in a 27-minute shift. It was a disastrous loss for the boys from the principality, having taken a 4-1 lead but then letting their hosts score four unanswered goals.

Three points were vital in this game if they hoped to be playing in Europe next season but because of them coming away with nothing, thus finishing the season in seventh place, they will have to wait until after the Couple de France final which will be held on May 22nd. The final will pit RC Lens, who finished the season in second place, taking on Nice. If the northerners win, then Balogun and his side will be competing in the Conference League.

Balogun had a decent season despite where his team ended up. The front man ended the campaign with 13 goals, which puts him in fourth place is goal-getting over the 2025-26 season. This should give him some confidence going into the World Cup this summer.

Marseille 3 – 1 Rennes

Tim Weah played 86 minutes in the right back position for Marseille as they came away with the victory in their last game of the season. The win means that Marseille make it into the Europa League leaague phase next season.

Notes

Tanner Tessmann missed out on Lyon’s curtain closer against Lens due to injury. It wasn’t a pretty game as the Olympians fell 4-0 in front of their home fans. Despite the result, Lyon finished the season in fourth place, which gives them a chance to qualify for the Champions League through the play-offs.

author

Michael Adubato

The old man of Yanks-Abroad, having been around since the very beginning in 2004, Known as the resident Belgian expert since that’s where he has lived for a couple of decades. Over the years he has interviewed Nats such as Kasey Keller, Brian McBride, Oguchi Onyewu, Jozy Altidore and Tim Weah, to name a few. When not working the day job, he can often be found in stadiums around Europe, watching games from the top flight to the lower leagues. To prove that he is not just a pretty face, Mike received a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Maryland and a Masters from the University of Oklahoma. Boomer Sooner! On a non-soccer note, Adubato has just released a book of poetry from his travels, Missing the Exit, published by Broken Keys Publishing in Ottawa, Canada. So that must make him the YA poet laureate! You can grab your copy on Amazon.com, order online and pick it up and Barnes & Noble or get an e-copy at various outlets.

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