French Football Weekly: Recent Episodes
French Football Weekly
Kris, Jez and Phil unpack Semi-Final defeat for Les Bleus. Spain proved to be the cryptonite once again, but where do we lay the blame? A sad farewell to Didier, with love ♥️
Kris, Jez and Phil look back on thequarter-final win over Morocco. More golden touches from the forwards and a serene evening at the back! 💪🏻 Spain or Belgium await in the Semis, we discuss. Enjoy!
Kris, Jez and Phil review France securing a passage to the quarter-finals despite Paraguay's best efforts to stop them! 👀 A preview of Morroco up next and some FIFA chat!
the last 16. Olise continues to amaze, Mbappe shines, and a fitting Deschamps tribute 🙏🏻 Enjoy! #FIFAWorldCup 🏆
The gang are here to review game 2 as France confirm their place in the next round. Standings tbc, also Tom's corner on the African teams, and support for Jeremy Doku.
We're underway across the pond! The team look back on France 3-1 Senegal. Mbappe's finishing, cultured passing of Rabiot, and the Olise sparkle!
The team preview the upcoming World Cup as France head into a tough group! Is all well with Mbappe? Can Olise lead the charge? Will Ballon d'Or Dembele shine? We discuss! Plus, Tom's Corner returns!
Kris, Phil, Jez and Tom applaud PSG as the Champions retain the European Cup in Bucharest and go back to back! There's praise for CdF winners Lens, Nice survive relegation, and Barca end OL's dreams in the WCL
As the curtain falls on another League season in France, the pod crew salute the winners, assess the runners up and commiserate the losers! Plus ,a huge relegation playoff and more crowd issues...
Kris, Tom, Jez and Phil give Auxerre their flowers, chat the race for Europe as Lille grab hold of 3rd, contrasting weeks for PSG and Strasbourg in Europe, Le Mans nearly up and so much more!
Kris, Tom and Phil look back at midweek Cup thrills, weekend WCL semis and a full League programme! Nice upset the OM locals, OL, Lille and Rennes charge on, Troyes are up and we fling yoghurts!
Kris, Jez and Tom have a jam-packed show this week - from European nights, to more OM fights! Magic from OL, a Lens comeback, Monaco stumble and Metz are on the brink! All that and more!!
Phil and Tom review France's friendly matches, Ligue 1, the Women's Champion's League, and upcoming matches
Kris and Phil are your hosts to look back on a busy week at home and abroad as PSG light up PDP, OL strike late, but Lille fall. Elsewhere Lorient halt Lens, Toulouse hit 4, and a new coach is in at Nantes. Enjoy!
The Team give RCSA their flowers as OL's winning run ends, Monaco upset leaders Lens, yet more problems for OM, and Rennes turn a new page.
Kris, Jez and Tom reflect on a chaotic week in Marseille both on and off the field, while Lens go top as PSG fall. Elsewhere Auxerre win a 6 pointer and it's another 'nul points' for Nantes!
Kris and Tom are your hosts looking back at a turbulent week for OM, much needed respite for Monaco and 10 in a row for OL; elsewhere it's CDF week and there were many, many transfers!
Kris, Jez and Tom chat all through the weekend action as the crisis at Lille deepens, Nice finally secure a big win, the Pocognoli struggles continue, and Endrick sets L1 alight!
Jez bring a full roundup of the last fortnight in France as PSG claim more silverwear before being dumped out of the CdF, Nice are hammered again, Lorient win big and O'Neil is off to a flyer.
Jez, Phil and Tom discuss the last round in the league and in Europe, focussing - again - on what is happening in Nice, as the fans attacked the team bus.
Jez reflect on an cracking evening in Lyon as #PSG win it late! Question marks at Monaco and Nice but it's three in a row for Metz! Plus some Ref chat and a France preview.Enjoy!
Kris, Phil, Tom and Jez marvel at a weekend of goals as OM hit the summit. Problems for Nantes despite their incredible tifo, and the misery for Metz goes on. Plus a Les Bleus roundup, WCL review, and Euro preview. Enjoy!
Kris, Phil Tom and Jez give flowers to TFC's road win, applaud a Pierre Sage rebuild at Lens and review a good week for French teams in Europe. There's also some Les Bleus National Anthem nostalgia! 🤭 Enjoy! #Ligue1
Kris, Phil & Tom salute Ousmane & co after a night of celebrations, whilst at home it's a good weekend for OM and OL, but the bottom five's struggles go on. Elsewhere it's a Euro round up, Team graphics chat & more! Enjoy!
Kris, Phil & Tom grab their coats for a wet Derby Du Nord, a postponed Classique, Nice in crisis & the 'DNCG Derby' plus a #Ligue2 update & more!Enjoy!
Kris, Phil & Jez take a deep dive into the past weekend in #Ligue1 - the injury debate at #PSG, MCO gripes for #RCSA, and Sunday happy day for Habib Beye and #SRFC. Enjoy!
Kris, Phil & Tom look back at a high scoring weekend as Ligue 1 heads for a break. Lille hit 7 (seven), Neves bags a worldly treble, and Pavard returns as the transfers wrap up. Enjoy!
Kris, Phil & Jez discuss week 2 in Ligue1, deep diving into OM's interesting week, weighing up Lille & Monaco as challengers & spotlight the growing concern for finances in the French game.
Kris, Phil, Jez & Tom are back as the new season in France gets underway, we discuss returning faces, promoted clubs, pressures at the top & much more, a new format for a new season!Enjoy!
The team review Game 11 of Ligue 1, and please bear in mind that this was recorded before France played Israel in the Nations League...
Kris, Jez and Thomas review a round of games which could have big implications at both ends of the table, and the France squad announced for the next international break - missing a certain somebody...
Kris and Jez have a lot to talk about, with the first managerial departure of the season, issues at the Corsican Derby, and PSG winning the Classique at the Velodrome.
Kris and Phil look back at the international break, where Les Bleus won but maybe didn't impress, Les Espoirs qualified for the U21 Euros despite losing to Austria, the Women's Champions League, another retirement, another court case, and shoes.
Kris and Jez review game 7, some off-pitch news, and look forward to the upcoming Nations League matches.
Kris and Jez review the action in Ligue 1 and the Europa League, and the international retirement of Antoine Griezmann.
Kris and Phil catch up on all the action, including Nice winning 8-0 against Saint-Etienne, PSG dropping points for the first time this season, and OM winning the Olympico despite being down to ten men for basically the whole match. Also a tribute to Raphael Varane, who has announced his retirement at just 31.
Kris and Jez look back at the international break, game 4, and pay tribute to Didier Roustan.
Kris and Phil look at the 3rd round of Ligue 1 games, including poor starts for some of the promoted teams, the biggest transfers now the window has shut, and the draw for the European competitions.
PSG beat Montpellier 6-0 and TV deals are still making people unhappy - Kris and Phil round up all the action
Transfers, previews, the Olympics, and a really weird situation with TV rights - we're back!
After a nervy quarter-final against Portugal, France are through to a scary semi-final against Spain
A song I remember from nearly 30 years ago that a friend found for me on ebay. It's as beautiful as I remember. x Phil
A very late goal puts France through to a quarter-final against Portugal after a weird and frustrating game.
A draw with POland in the last group game leaves France second in the group, and facing Belgium in the Round of 16.
A goalless draw against the Netherlands in FRance's second game has Kris and Jez a little worried.
After a stressful opening match for France, Kris and Jez discuss the impact that Mbappe's broken nose will have on the team more generally, and the return of Ngolo Kante.
Kris, Jez and Phil discuss the playoffs, managerial changes, and FRANCE as the Euros hove into view.
Kris and Jez discuss the Coupe de France, France, the playoffs, and are joined by special guest Tom (@WYSAF1) to talk Angers after a successful season in Ligue 2
After the last day of the LIgue 1 season the European places are more or less worked out. Phil referees as Kris and Jez discuss the relegation fight, with playoffs still to come, and we will have a special guest next week to talk about Ligue 2.
The penultimate round of the season! With some games in hand complicating things slightly... Kris and Jez are both nervous about the relegation situation but manage to overcome that to deal with some big games in the race for the European spots, and Toulouse harshing the vibe at the Parc des Princes.
After PSG lose over both legs to Borussia Dortmund, Kris, Jez and Phil have a lot to say.
PSG are champions, shock horror! Phil and Jez look back over the weekend's action, featuring every team scoring for the first time since 1976, discuss the battle at the bottom, and the UNFP awards giving Brest some much-deserved love.
OM are through but Lille are out - PSG hammer Lyon in one match, but struggle in another - and the table is still a nightmare for Kris and Phil to work out as they try to cover all the action.
PSG pulled off a great result in Barcelona, but there were some other impressive comebacks in the league over the weekend. Kris and Jez have all the news.
It was a week of confusing refults in Ligue 1, and Kris Jez and Phil are here to break down all the action before a look forward to the European games for PSG, OM and LOSC
An international break of mixed fortunes, a classique ditto, a very interesting multiplex, and two French teams facing off in the WCL semi-finals - Jeremy and Phil have all the news and the narratives.
Kris and Jez round up game 26, the European draws, and look forward to the international break.
Kris and Phil discuss Ligue 1, Europe, the CdF Feminine, and how much it costs to watch football.
A bad week for French teams in Europe, OM's good start under Gasset, OL's continuing bounceback, Strasbourg worrying tumble, and much more besides with Phil and Jez
Kris and Phil look at the OM situation, teams going up, teams going down, Barbie, Europe, and the Coupe.
Kris and Jez look at PSG before the Champions League restarts, a chaotic Derby du Sud, and whether Toulouse and Montpellier might be getting themselves into a bit of bother...
After the last round of European group games, Kris, Phil and Jez look at the results and the draws, before rounding up game 16 of Ligue 1.
Some unexpected results in Ligue 1, and some big European games on the way. Kris and Phil try to work out all the permutations.
France won 14-0 against Gibraltar. Kris, Jez and Phil have thoughts on that, PSG winning 5-2 against Monaco, the various U17 teams, and much much more...
A weird mash-up of results in Europe vs results in Ligue 1 - Kris and Phil try to make sense of it all. Are Lyon turning a corner? Can we be dealing with Nice? Is Mbappe happy?
13 goals in 9 games - Kris, Jez and Phil try to get excited about an unexciting weekend.
We didn't get to see OM v OL on Sunday - Kris, Jez and Phil explain why, and what's going on on the field as well as on.
Kris and Jez discuss a successful international break and game 9 in the league, which involved jockeying for position all over the place.
Much to discuss in game 8 of Ligue 1 after a less than stellar round of European games. Kris and Phil discuss equalisers, derbies, explosives, and upcoming disciplinary action.
Seven games in and Kris, Jez and Phil look at how well Monaco and Reims are doing, how surprising Clermont were against PSG, a quick discussion of refereeing, and Lens' amazing win against Arsenal in the Champions League.
Kris, Jez and Phil look at a very one-sided classique, Marcin Bulka saving two penalties in Monaco v Nice, an eight-goal thriller at Nantes, and the European fixtures.
After 5 games, the table is confusing. Kris, Jez and Phil try to work out if Brest are good or not, what the heck OL are doing, and whether OM are about to be looking for another manager again. Also Moffi, Europe, and Div 1's weird new system.
It's an international break! Kris and Jez round up the matches against Ireland and Germany, and some other stuff that may have happened.
More OL problems, Monaco and Lens going in different directions, Lille labouring, and are PSG a team? We round up LIgue 1, look at the European groups, and forward to the dreaded first international break of the season.
Unexpectedly interesting games and unexpectedly uninteresting games in Ligue 1 as PSG and Marseille pull themselves together and Lyon and Lille don't.
OM are out of the Champions League, OL can't defend, PSG still look underwhelming without Mbappe, and we have mixed feelings about Thierry Henry taking over as the U21 coach.
France are out of the World Cup after losing to Australia on penalties - Ligue 1 has restarted with some big scores, late goals, and unexpected results - and PSG had a weird opener agains Lorient
A bumper edition - Women's World Cup! Ligue 1 Transfers and Preview! Lil bit of Ligue 2! Welcome back, all...
Kris and Jez round up the post-season happenings, including Toulouse sacking coach Philippe Montanier, the ongoing Mbappe situation, the disciplinary committee confirming that Metz will be in Ligue 1 next season, and the upcoming European Qualifiers for France.
It's the end of the season for Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 - or is it? Kris and Phil cover the race for Europe, a couple of relegation battles, a promotion push, and quite a lot of admin as Bordeaux v Rodez was halted after only 23 minutes, having implications at both ends of the Ligue 2 table.We will be back for an end-of-season round-up once everything is confirmed and Jez has come out from behind the sofa.
With the penultimate round featuring ten matches simultaneously in both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, Kris and Phil try to keep track of everything - the race for Europe, to avoid relegation, to achieve promotion, as well as people moving on, the UNFP awards, and some national team news.
Round 36 saw the race for fifth place continuing, and Nantes and Auxerre both losing in their fight to avoid the drop. Kris, Jez and Phil round up all the action including Lyon winning their 16th title in the women's league, and the nominations for the UNFP trophies.
A busy weekend in French football, with two more teams relegated, the bomb squad called out, the Women's Coupe de France final, and the fall-out of a weekend of solidarity to discuss. Kris, Jez and Phil try to keep up with it all.
It's a bumper pod this week as we have to cover all the goals in OL v Montpellier... Kris, Jez and Phil also discuss Messi, Aulas, Kombouare, petty club commiuniques, and tip a hat to Bruno Rodriguez.
It was a rose-tinted spectacle in the final of the Coupe de France as Toulouse beat Nantes 5-1. In the league, Monaco were taken apart at home by Montpellier, and PSG lost at home to Lorient in a game featuring probably the weirdest goal of the season. Angers are officially down, and Ajaccio and Troyes are adrift, but there is still some jeopardy as several teams - including Nantes - are battling to avoid the fourth and final relegation spot. Kris, Jez and Phil round up all the action.
Kris and Jez review all the action including Nice crashing out of the Europa Conference League, Marseille going second with a win at Lyon, Lens staying on the podium with a win over Monaco, and the ongoing battle at the bottom with four teams looking to avoid the last relegation spot.
Kris and Jez look back at Auxerre v Nantes, Strasbourg v Ajaccio, and PSG v Lens, which wasn't as close as we had hoped.
There's two weeks of action to cover, including two rounds of Ligue 1, the Coupe de France semi-finals, Women's Champions League quarter-finals, and new management for Les Bleues. Kris, Jez and Phil just about manage to keep track of it all.
Two wins for France in the international break - one more impressive than the other, but there were reasons. Meanwhile it's not been a good week for the women's game, on or off the pitch, and the U21s are in a bit of bother. Kris, Jez and Phil look back at all of it, and forward to a return of Ligue 1 that finishes with le Classique.
The international break is upon us, so after reviewing the weekend's action Kris, Jez and Phil look at les Bleus as they head into Euro Qualifying.
PSG may have been knocked out of the Champions' League again, but the rest of French football seems determined to have a good time. Kris, Jez and Phil look back at a weekend of late comebacks, high-scoring draws, frantically fast hattricks and Nice flying the flag in Europe.
Neymar's out for the rest of the season - will PSG manage without him against Bayern? Kris, Jez and Phil round up the weekend's matches, discuss whether we jinxed Nice last week, and how Der Zakarian's return could help Montpellier. Also, will OM's defeat in the Coupe de France have a positive or negative effect. Go Annecy.
Well, I guess that's why they call it Les Bleues.There's chaos surrounding the French Women's team, and the FFF, in the run-up to the World Cup. On the pitch, there was a cardless Classique which saw Mbappe and Messi in magical form as PSG beat OM 3-0. Nice won the Derby du Sud by the same margin at Monaco as their impressive run of form continues. There were a bad set of results in the Europa League, Dejan Lovren helping Angers out on the scoring front, and the relegation battle continuing to confuse. Kris, Jez and Phil cover all of that, while trying to keep up with the Coupe de France quarter-finals 'en direct'.
Mixed results in Europe, ongoing shenanigans at PSG, some chaotic and/or confusing results in the league - it's all going on in French football. Kris, Jez and Phil round everything up and look forward to a next round of matches that includes a Derby du Sud, and the big one - OM v PSG.
There's been three rounds of Ligue 1, the 8emes of the Coupe de France, and Kris, Jez and Phil have the restart of European completition to look forward to as well.
The Coupe de France 16emes were followed by a round of league games in which none of the top teams managed a win. Kris, Jez and Phil round up all the action, have a look at some of the market moves as the transfer window closes, and look forward to a midweek round of games.
PSG have had another setback losing to Rennes, so Kris and Jez discuss whether we have a title race, and if so, who's in it. There were also some big scores as Monaco and Lille pummelled Ajaccio and Troyes respectively as they try to get in on the top-three action.
Happy New Year! Kris, Jez and Phil are joined by Tom (@WYSAF1 on Twitter) to discuss the two rounds of Ligue 1 action after a shortened Christmas break, and the current parlous state of Angers.
So near, so far. Kris and Jez try to stay positive after France lost to Argentina on penalties. Happy Christmas, everyone.
France are through! Kris and Jez review the semi-final against Morocco and look forward to the final against Argentina.
France beat England to set up a tasty semi-final against Morocco. Kris and Jez are all over this...
France are through to the quarter finals after beating Poland 3-1. Kris and Jez are reassured after the last group game, and look forward to the next match against England on Saturday.
Deschamps' multiple changes ended the group stage on a low note - although Tunisia are happy. Kris and Jez sigh their way through that one, and look forward to the knock-out game v Poland on Sunday.
France have already booked their place in the next round with a win over Denmark. Kris and Jez review that, and look forward to today's final group game against Tunisia - what with Deschamps change? What will he not? Who is going to play leftback? And then - on to the knock-out phase...
France won their opening match 4-1 against Australia, and Olivier Giroud stepped into the Benzema-shaped breach to score a brace and equal Thierry Henry's goalscoring record for France. Kris and Jez are all over this one...
Kris and Jez preview France's first game against Australia, covering player absences, likely formation and tactics, and hopes for the tournament as a whole.
It's halfway - ish - in Ligue 1 and 2 as Christmas is coming early what with the World Cup and everything. Kris and Jez look at where things stand in the league, and how things might go for France in Qatar.
Kris and Jez are still talking about the weather, but manage to cover some football as well. Is there life in Ajaccio? Can Lens keep going? Was the Olympique up to the mark? Will it ever stop raining? We will see...
Kris and Jez are suffering from the weather and the clocks changing, so try to cheer themselves up by looking at all the happenings in French football. On the list - Marseille, PSG and much more besides.
Kris, Jez and Phil round up an interesting week in Ligue 1, focussing on Lyon and Lille. In Europe, usually the women do better than the men but this was not one of those weeks as PSG and OL both lost at home.
Kris and Jez round up the action in Europe and Ligue 1, and, well, there have been some leadership changes...
Kris, Jez and Phil round up a week of European and Ligue 1 action, looking at the promoted sides, Lyon's managerial issues, PSG's moodswings, and much more besides.
Kris, Jez and Phil round up the Ligue 1 action, Europe, and the WCL draw, also our fears for Nantes and Strasbourg...
Kris and Phil are joined by Big Boss Andrew Gibney to discuss Lille and everything that's happened in Ligue 1 and Europe over the past couple of weeks.
Kris, Jez and Phil round up the opening round of the European competitions and the weekend's Ligue 1 action
Kris, Jez and Phil have two rounds of Ligue 1 to look at - more red cards, more ups and downs, and did you think Wahi meant that?
Kris and Phil round up game four and the draws for the European competitions. Kris turns out to be a closet Majorca follower and Phil has some things to say about Pogba-gate.
Kris, Jez and Phil round up round 2, and a week in which Monaco might be unhappy already, and PSG might be an unhappy camp already. Also, the promoted teams, some epic comebacks, why it's not a good idea to host a Celtic festival on your football pitch, and what all those confusing shirt numbers are about...
Kris, Jez and Phil look back at the opening game in Ligue 1 - 34 goals! Featuring a bicycle kick from Messi, Aaron Ramsey making new friends, and the other Luis Suarez making his mark for OM.
Kris, Jez and Phil are joined by special guest Adam Virgo - ex-pro and current commentator for BT, Sky, ITV and others - for a look forward to the upcoming Ligue season, including the runners and riders, transfer market, managerial changes and more.
Also we cover France at the Women's Euros and what that could do for the game more broadly, European success for the youth teams, and which team is in which European club competition in the coming season. It's confusing.
Also, how Kris ended up booking a sunset cruise to go dolphin watching and thus missing the opening games in not one but two leagues...
Kris, Jez and Phil round up the last week of Ligue 1 - Europe, relegation, play-offs, PSG's new approach to player-management, OL winning their 8th Womens' Champions' League title, and more.
Game 37 is done! The bottom three are the bottom three, and have Marseille screwed up their Champions' League chances? Kris, Jez and Phil round it all up, including the Ligue 2 standings and idrissa Gana Gueye's stance on people.
After two rounds of Ligue 1 and the final of the Coupe de France which saw Nantes win the trophy for the fourth time, Kris and Jez mull over all the action (disclaimer - possibly not all the action). With two games to go - ish, there are some catch-up games today for the cup final contenders - there is still much to play for in relation to both the European places and the relegation battle.
Kris, Jez and Phil round up two Ligue 1 rounds, PSG's 10th title win, the Women's Champions' League, and the upcoming Europa Conference League fixture.
Kris, Jez and Phil are here for a roundup of game 32 and the European games, and a preview of the midweek round 33 - stand by for our predictions going haywire even before you've had a chance to listen.
After an international break, Women's Champions' League and game 30 of Ligue 1, Kris, Jez and Phil have a lot to get through. Is it a good idea to give a player the keys to a club? Is it a good idea to base your tactics on a dream your president had? What will happen in PSG and OL's sixth meeting in the WCL knock-out stages?
PSG have had another nightmare, and Kris, Jez and Phil are here to look at that, the rest of the last round of Ligue 1, and European qualification before an international break.
Soooooo, that happened. Jonathon Johnson and Matthew Gooding join Kris, Jez and Phil to discuss PSG, as they crash out of the Champions' League again.
Kris, Jez and Phil round up the Coupe de France semi-finals and game 27 of Ligue 1 - are PSG all that without Mbappe? What is the Dupraz effect? How bad can it get for Bordeaux? And many other issues....
Kris, Jez and Phil round up two weeks of French football, including Ligue 1, Europe, and forward to the Coupe de France semi-finals. PSG blip, refereeing issues, some wonderful goalkeeping, and many other things.
Kris, Jez and Phil round up the last round of Ligue 1, the upcoming Coupe de France quarter finals, and the tragic death of David Crossan.
Happy New Year! Kris, Jez and Phil are here to round up the Coupe de France 16emes, and the 70% of Ligue 1 that happened at the weekend. Monaco have changed manager, the transfer window is open, TV coverage is...occasionally problematic, and unused goalkeepers with their shirts.
Phil and Jez get together for a Christmas pod to round up the 9th round of the Coupe de France, game 19 in Ligue 1, and the standings at the halfway point.
Kris and Jez have a look at the bottom of the Ligue 1 table where it's all getting a bit fraught in the run up to Christmas. There's one more round before the winter break...
The FFW team are dropping like flies but Kris and Phil are here to cover two rounds of Ligue 1 that saw a lot of movement in the table, the first managerial sacking of the season (Guess who...) and the European games.
Kris, Phil and Jez round up game 15 in Ligue 1 and game 5 of the various European fixtures as four of the French teams have qualified already, one's in a very exciting group, and one may drop down and continue their campaign. There's a midweek round as we head towards Christmas, so there will be two rounds to cover in the next pod.
Kris, Phil, and (for a while) Jez look back at an international break that saw France qualify for the World Cup, a red-card-heavy round of Ligue 1 games featuring yet another abandoned game, and some weird moves on and off the pitch in the women's game.
Kris and Phil round up the last round, Europe, how the various European competitions fit together, Saint Etienne finally winning a game, and more. Next up - international break! Oh, the fun...
Kris, Jez and Phil take a look at the bottom of the table, as results at the weekend featured comebacks, long-range strikes, unexpected wins, and apparently ageless Jimmy Briand. Jez is mournful about Metz, Phil thinks far too many teams are too good to go down, and Kris has a cold.
They also look forward to Matchday 4 in the various European competitions where several of the French contingent have crunch games.
Kris and Phil are on their own this week to round up an un-classic Classique and Nice's last-minute comeback against OL, as well as St Etienne's ongoing problems and whether or not Lens are going to keep hold of their current position. Features red cards, arrests. Europe, stats, a nod to Ligue 2 and the Coupe de France.
It was a cracking round of games that Kris, Jez, Rich and Phil have to round up featuring boatloads of goals, some absolute worldies, and red cards all over the shop.
After France won the Nations' League, Kris, Rich, Jez and Phil gloat about / analyse the semi-final agains Belgium and final against Spain.
Several teams had a weird week over the European games and the League games at the weekend. Kris, Jez and Phil are here to round up the Rhone derby, Lille's win over OM, and Rennes' unexpectedly comprehensive result against PSG. We look forward to the Nation's League semi-finals and potential final day, and there's a look back at the legacy of Bernard Tapie, who died this week.
A full house of Kris, Jez, Rich and Phil to round up game 9, the upcoming European games, and a nod to to the Coupe de France and Ligue 2.
It's been a while, but Kris, Rich and Phil look back over rounds 6 and 7 of Ligue 1 and the European matches in between. We look at the main questions - PSG's attitude, which teams will challenge them, what are Saint Etienne doing, and more.
Kris, Rich and Jez debrief les Bleus' September international break. After two matches it looked like it was going to be a post-mortem but, after the 2-0 win over Finland, maybe France have stumbled over a blueprint for the future - with Griezmann at the centre of things of course! The question is will Mbappe put team over ego?
As we trundle into an international break, Kris Rich and Phil round up game 4 in LIgue 1, the European draws, key transfers, and the upcoming set of World Cup qualifiers for les Bleus.
After an eventful weekend, Kris, Jez, Phil and Rich get together to round up all the Ligue 1 action, including goals, red cards, bottles, pitch invasions, presidents grabbing the microphone, the CRS showing up, and upcoming disciplinary issues. They look at the 'big' teams having a bit of a mare, the players who impressed, and some mild transfer chat.
34 goals in the second round of Ligue 1, with comebacks, red cards, players being sent to train with the reserves, managers doing their previous clubs - Kris, Jez, Phil and Rich try to pick out the best (and worst) performances of a chaotic weekend.
Ligue 1 kicked off at the weekend and there were goals, comebacks, arrests and more. Also, a small matter of Lionel Messi leaving/etc Barcelona. Kris, Jez, Rich and Phil are all over all of that - and who to watch out for as the season progresses.
We're back! Kris, Jez, Phil and Rich - the band is back together.
Mere minutes after the end of last season, when Lille beat PSG to the title and PSG again failed to win the Champions League, the Euros went badly, the French men's team went 100% Ripoll at the Olympics, and French sports journalism now has TV rights specialists on the books, we are back.
Trophee de Champions, new teams, new players, new managers, new subscriptions needed - we're ready for the first round of Ligue 1 at the weekend
Well, that went badly. Kris, Jez and Phil look back at the loss on penalties against Switzerland, issues throughout the tournament, and the many elephants there are in the room right now.
The Group of Heck is over, and Kris and Jez have a late-night meet-up to review Portugal 2 - 2 France which put France top of the group as Germany also drew 2-2 with Hungary. This sets France up with a match against Switzerland in the round of 16.
Game 2 and things are a bit problematic; Kris, Jez and Phil look back over a 1-1 draw with Hungary, and the build-up to the key final game on Wednesday against Portugal. Also, Germany's bounce-back against the title-holders, and the sad loss of a legend of social media.
Shortly after the game, it was announced that Philippe Vignolo - @Philousports on Twitter - had died of a heart attack. It's a measure of his 'petite notorieté' (his words) that this was announced mid-match by Omar da Fonseca on live TV, various France players paid homage to him just hours after they had got off the pitch, and the French press, sporting and not, have published tributes.
Au revoir, Philou. Tu nous manques déjà...
Game 1 is done! Kris, Jez and Phil analyse France 1 - 0 Germany - the selection, the system, the silkiness... Also Hungary's crumble against Portugal in the other Group F game, Phil's boss, and how TV dealt with Christian Eriksen's collapse.
The season is over and the Euros are about to begin! Kris, Jez and Phil look backwards, forwards and sideways at the standings, managerial changes, transfer market and France's chances as they face Germany, Hungary and Portugal in the group stages.
After a chaotic final day, Kris, Jez and Phil round up the final standings - Lille win their first title since 2011, PSG are pushed to second place, Nantes have a play-off to contend with, nobody really understands the Europa Conference League, all the managers are moving around, and who were the nicest team this season...
Kris and Jez are joined by a special guest for a very special pod - Angus Torode joins the lads to discuss his career. They also look at the France team that will go to the Euros, and the final of the Coupe de France.
The penultimate round of Ligue 1 was a simultaneous round of chaos. Kris, Jez and Phil try to remember what happened as there were developments at both ends of the table.
Also, Etienne Green was born in Colchester - who knew?
As the season burns to a close, Kris, Jez and Phil look back over PSG's exit from the Champions' League, complications in Ligue 1, promotions from Ligue 2, and the upcoming Coupe de France semi-finals.
It's been a very busy week, and Kris, Jez and Phil have a special guest to talk about PSG's performances in both domestic and European competition - Matt Gooding aka @PSGTourist. Lyon beat Monaco to probably screw up the principality's hopes of the title, PSG struggled more than you'd think against Lens, Lille beat ten men who didn't get a shot off (Nice), and that's before you look at the Champions' League.
It's been a week. Kris, Jez and Phil look back over the weekend's action, the cup, admin, the WCL and everything else.
Quiet weekend, wasn't it? Kris and Phil look back over a sometimes baffling week, in which both PSGs can thank the away goals rule for their progression to the Champions League semi-finals - the men after a 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich at the Parc des Prince, the women after knocking out seven-time trophy winners Lyon with a 2-1 away win.
As well as that there were a couple of five-goal thrillers featuring very late winners in Ligue 1, as Kris' Lorient succumbed to OM at the Velodrome 3-2 with a double from Pol Lirola cancelling out ditto from Terem Moffi, and PSG v Saint-Etienne being probably the most exciting last 15 minutes of the season ending in a 96th minute winner from Mauro Icardi as the hosts also won 3-2.
We have a midweek Coupe de France round for the quarter-finals and an interesting weekend coming up which finishes with Lyon v Lille in a key game for the title race.
Also - yes, we went there - the recently announced 'European Super League' (other super leagues are available) causes sadness, anger, confusion, and Phil talking about EU corporate law, even though no French teams are involved in it...yet.
PSG beat Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Champion's League Quarter Finals, all the top four won, we have two fourth-tier teams in the Coupe de France Quarter Finals, and it turns out the French women's team are fine without most of the OL contingent. Kris, Jez and Phil round up a week of interesting developments across multiple competitions.
We had a little international / Easter break of our own, so Kris, Jez and Phil have a lot to round up this week. France drew with Ukraine and beat Kazakhstan and Bosnia-Herzogovina in World Cup qualifying, and the U21s lost to Denmark and beat Russia and Iceland to progress to the quarter-finals of the Euros.
Then we had a key set of games on Saturday in Ligue 1 as Lille beat PSG, Monaco beat Metz and Lyon drew at Lens to throw the top of the table into a spin, and elsewhere there were concussions, penalties, red cards and much more besides.
Game 30 of Ligue 1 saw some movement at the top, as Lille lost unexpectedly to Nimes, and PSG won away at Lyon. With the top and bottom of the table (barring Dijon) as tight as ever, Kris, Jez and Phil look back at all the weekend's action, an unexpectedly early Coupe de France quarter final, and the upcoming international break.
Oh ho ho ho ho. When OL drew at Reims and Monaco and Lille played out a goalless draw (sorry about that everyone) it looked like PSG were in the box seat to take top spot in Ligue 1. It didn't go according to plan. Kris, Jez and Phil look back over a chaotic weekend that ended with a twist that nobody saw coming. Features Champions League, Haribo, Twitter bugs, and more.
It was enjoyably chaotic in the 16emes of the Coupe de France with late goals, penalty shoot-outs, cupsets, smoke-bombs, red cards and Kylian Mbappe scoring a pub-team goal. Phil and John Mainland discuss the magic of the Coupe, the impact of Covid, and when exactly the draw for the next round will be...
Julien Stephan has resigned from Rennes, Jacques-Henri Eyraud has left Marseille, Jorge Sampaoli is coming in, Bordeaux could be up for sale and their captain Laurent Koscielny has had some strong words about the state of the club - there's a lot going on in Ligue 1. Kris, Jez and Phil work their way through the comings and goings, the form and the title race (still on, at time of writing), before a midweek round that could be crucial for the standings, and a weekend of Coupe de France action to come.
France's European teams had differing fortunes, as the title race looks ever more like a four-way fight. Kris, Jez and Phil review PSG's comprehensive win over Barcelona and Lille's defeat against Ajax, before returning to home territory for goalkeeping ricks, catch-up games, the managerial merry-go-round, and Kris' attempts to pronounce the teams in the draw for the Coupe de France 16emes.
Kris, Jez and Phil round up the Ligue trouser of the Coupe de France 32emes where there were three 'upsets', before moving on to the weekend's Ligue 1 action which saw PSG win 2-1 against Nice but the rest of the top four all drop points. A turning point in the title race, or a coincidence that lends more weight to individually understandable results?
With two rounds to cover, Kris, Jez and Phil aren't short of things to talk about in a week that's also seen two managers depart, the TV deal finally get sorted out, and a midweek Coupe de France round to look forward to. Bottom clubs Nimes and Dijon both lost in high-scoring games where they had brief flickers of hope, there were some lovely free-kicks, and the top four all took six points, scoring 20 goals between them.
After some surprising results, 2/3 of the team are giddy with glee - Kris, Jez and Phil focus on the bottom of the table, Lorient's shock win against PSG, the worrying events at Marseille, and the ongoing omnishambles that is the TV coverage of the French leagues.
Game 21 saw some big scores, including in the derby as Lyon won 5-0 away at Saint-Etienne. Birthday boy Kris is joined by Jez and Phil to round up all the action including Marseille continuing to be awkward on several levels, PSG and Lille doing the necessary, and Bordeaux showing their style in attack and defence as they beat Angers 2-1.
The 'season-opening' Trophee des Champions saw PSG beat OM on a cold and foggy January evening, and game 20 saw some interesting table developments. Kris, Jez and Phil round up all the happenings including numerous shanked penalties, a missing game, Benoit Costil's clean-sheet exploits and OM's current difficulties.
We're halfway through the Ligue 1 season and Lyon are the champion d'automne, ahead of PSG and Lille. Kris, Jez and Phil round up two rounds of games including Monaco and Strasbourg scoring 5, Montpellier having the worst form outside the bottom two, Pochettino's PSG having a tricky start against the wildly inconsistent Saint-Etienne, and a couple of juicy games to look forward to at the weekend. Also, the new-look Coupe de France has been drawn with the Ligue 2 sides playing on 20 January and Ligue 1 joining them in early February.
Tuchel out and Poch in at PSG, Domenech in at Nantes - Kris, Jez and Phil look back at the managerial changes over Christmas and the current table standings. Also features a small quiz about Olivier Giroud.
Kris, Jez and Phil round up rounds 15 and 16 and look at how that impacts on the table.
Kris, Jez and Phil look back over a really busy week. We've lost Gerard Houillier, seen PSG follow Basaksehir off the field in response to racist language from an official, discuss the ongoing failure of French teams to go deep in Europe, wonder if there will be a title race this year, and whether or not we'll be able to watch any matches after Christmas.
Kris, Jez and Phil look back over game 5 in Europe and the 13th round of Ligue 1, including Vieira's departure, some other potential departures, fog, red cards, an actual title battle, and France's 2022 World Cup qualifying group.
Kris, Jez and Phil look back over a worrying 4th game in Europe with the French teams not massively impressing, and a confusing round 12 in Ligue 1. Dijon have finally won a game, OL look like they might be looking up, OM have two games in hand, and there's some managers coming under increasing pressure. Rumours abound that the Coupe de France is under threat, and the issues with the French Women's team continue.
Kris, Jez and Phil round up a confusing weekend of results, with Monaco coming from 2-0 down to beat PSG, Brest adding to Saint-Etienne's woes, a goalfest at Mosson, and Lille looking good. Round 4 of the European competitions is coming up and Rennes and Marseille are probably looking for Europa League places after Christmas.
Kris, Jez and Phil review the international break, with the men's senior team getting through to the final four of the Nations' League, the U21s topping their Euro qualifying group, and the women's team continuing to have off the pitch issues.
After ten games of Ligue 1 - more or less - Kris, Jez and Phil round up the weekend's action, the quality you can see even at the bottom of the table, and look forward to the international break where France will play Finland, Portugal and Sweden.
Kris and Jez are on their own this week to discuss a fairly problematic Champion's League round, as well as the Europa League, Ligue 1, and the recent announcement of the French squad for the next international break.
A newly Twitterless Kris is joined by Jez and Phil to look back at the second round of the Champions' League, the weekend's league action, contrasting fortunes in the Europa league, and how the newly announced lockdown in France will affect French football.
The Champions League started badly for the French contingent, so Kris, Jez and Phil look back over 1 point from 3 matches and some late goals that did for PSG and OM. We also look at the weekend's games, lots of goals, two teams going down to nine men, whether we need to talk about Saint-Etienne, and if Lille might make a race of this.
Kris, Jez and Phil look back over the international break, including two Nations' League games, and discuss Giroud's 100th cap, formation changes, and Kylian Mbappe's job. We also look forward to the weekend's schedule featuring several matches between closely placed teams, and give a nod to the start of European club competition.
Kris, Jez and Phil round up game 6 of Ligue 1 including PSG's 6-1 win against Angers, the FFW derby as Metz won 3-1 against Lorient, and a slightly strange Olimpico. There's also some transfer news, Stephane Moulin's bad optics, the sad death of Eddie van Halen, and teams scoring with their only shot on target. Enjoy the international break!
We missed last week because reasons, so are back to round up game 5, what Lyon and PSG are up to, the Champions League draw, French team announcement, and various discinplinary issues.
It's been a quiet week, so Kris, Jez and Phil try to think of things to talk about. This includes the card-laden stramash with occasional football that was le Classique which saw Marseille winning 1-0 at the Parc des Princes, Lyon's woes, the current location of Houssem Aouar, Montpellier's up-and-at-'em style, and Irvin Cardona putting his name in early for the Puskás Award.
After an international break that saw France beat Sweden and Croatia in the Nations League, Kris, Jez and Phil look back at les Bleus' performances, the new defensive set-up, the U21s, how many players PSG actually have available, and some mild transfer chat.
We've had Day 2 of the new season (PSG notwithstanding) and roll into the first international break this weekend as France play Sweden and Croatia, but OL have also finally put an end to last season with their win in the Women's Champions League. Kris, Jez and Phil try to work out what day it actually is.
Just an intimate twosome this week as Kris and Jez review Matchday 1 of the new Ligue 1 season, picking out all the teams who seem to be missing a goalscorer and spotting the team who have found one! We also discuss the rights and wrongs of the Lens vs PSG postponement. And we end with a look at Didier Deschamps' latest squad announcement, which includes some exciting new call-ups, some interesting recalls ... and the inevitable Boring Benzema Brigade Backlash.
In our Champions League final review special, Kris and Jeremy are joined by PSG fan (and Jeremy Menez fetishist) Matthew Gooding to look back on where the final was won and lost. We analyse the match, PSG's Champions League campaign and whether or not the future is bright for les Parisiens. We also discuss whether Ligue 1's reputation has been enhanced, and touch on whether or not PSG are unfairly treated in the media.
After the Champions League semi-finals, Kris, Jez and Phil regret Lyon's loss to Bayern and review PSG's win over Leipzig. They look forward to the final on Sunday, and try to work out when and how Ligue 1 is going to restart.
After the mildly unexpected victory of Lyon over Manchester City in the last of the Champions' League quarter-finals, Kris, Jez and Phil convene for a short bonus pod in which we all try to work out what the heck happened, who was (ir)responsible, who shone, who didn't, and what might happen as the semi-finals heave into view.
It's been a busy week as the 2019/20 season hits the business end(TM) - Kris, Jez and Phil review PSG's last-minute comeback against Atalanta, Lyon progressing against Juventus, and the Coupe de France Feminine final, where OL beat PSG on penalties after an unexpected goalless draw.
In the Champions' League, Lyon will play Manchester City on Saturday, and we nervously consider how that could pan out, as well as discussing PSG's chances against their yet-to-be-confirmed opponent (Atletico Madrid or RB Leipzig). In the women's game, both OL and PSG will be off to Bilbao for the final stages of the WCL, to face Bayern Munich and Arsenal respectively.
The French football season is over, as PSG beat Lyon on penalties in the last ever Coupe de la Ligue final. Kris, Jez and Phil are here to look at that, Lyon's upcoming game against Juventus, the transfer market, COVID, and more besides.
We're back! Ligue 1 may have died a death in March, but we've just had the Coupe de France final, and are awaiting the Coupe de la Ligue Final on Friday and the Portugal-based 'lads on tour' Champions League thingy in August. Thus, Kris, Jez and Phil get the band back together to round up what the hell has been happening. Features promotions, relegations, transfers, stats, Loic Perrin and occasional friendlies.
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. Kris, Rich and Phil round up PSG's win over Dortmund in the Champions' League, the Ligue 1 action last weekend, the Ligue 1 action we hope will happen this weekend, and how the burgeoning global pandemic may affect football more generally.
Stay safe everyone.
Kris, Jez, Phil and Rich round up PSG's 5-1 win over a ten-man Lyon, the Rhone derby, Rayan Cherki, why Rich doesn't like Mark Hughes and whether Alan Curbishley will ever manage in Ligue 1.
Kris, Rich and Phil are here to talk Lyon, after their impressive win over Juventus in the Champions League and with some tricky matches on the way. The gang also look back at the weekend's results, and some red cards that will be important in upcoming games, a brief look at the Ligue 2 standings, and what's coming up next week.
PSG have had a hell of a week, from a 6-1 hammering of Dijon in the Coupe de France, through a chaotic 4-4 draw in the Ligue to 19th placed Amiens, to a 2-1 defeat by Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League knock-out stages. Kris, Jez and Phil are here to look at what happened, how, why, by whom and wherever.
They also round up the weekend's Ligue results as Saint Etienne continue to suffer and Nimes have something approaching a bounce, and look forward to a slightly underwhelming next round of fixtures.
Amidst a confusing midweek round, Kris, Jez, Rich and Phil try to keep up with what's going on after PSG won 5-0 against Montpellier, Mbappe threw a strop, Nimes are playing well, and a Depay-less Lyon have had trouble. Rich sings Camavinga's praises in our new French Football Futures section, and Jez has hope for Metz.
We're back! After an extended winter break, Kris, Phil, Rich and Jez are joined by Coupe correspondent John Mainland to look back at the post-Christmas action, including many cupsets in the Coupe de France, one of which happens as we are recording.
Along with the Ligue 1 positions and Coupe de la Ligue, we will be starting our series 'French Football Future' in the coming weeks, so if there are any players you are anxious to hear about, let us know in the comments or on Twitter.
It's party time - except in Ligue 1 where there were only 15 goals in the last round of games - so Kris and Phil are here to round up all the action, the Coupe de la Ligue (ongoing), the Champion's League draw, and look particularly at Lyon and Monaco as 2019 draws to a close.
There were 35 goals over the weekend, and Kris, Jez and Phil are here to try to keep up. We've also seen a bunch of cupsets in the Coupe de France, and some serious handbags in the Champions' League.
It's been a while, but we're back! Kris, Jez and Phil pick out the highlights of the last couple of rounds and round up where the table is now.
It's all hotting up nicely after eleven games, with much VAR, PSG chickening out of doing a Leicester against Marseille, the Coupe de la Ligue hoving into view out of nowhere, and more besides. Kris, Phil, Jez and Rich round up everything that's happening.
We're ten games into Ligue 1 and three games into the European competitions, so Kris, Jez and Phil are here to cover all the action, including Garcia's awkward start at Lyon, Angel di Maria, late goals, WCL success, and more.
Kris, Jez, Phil and Rich look back on the international break which saw France beat Iceland and draw against Turkey, and an increasingly confusing set of managerial changes. Also features Kris levering mentions of Lorient in Ligue 2 and tactical choices for Arsenal.
After nine games, Ligue 1 goes on hold for an(other) international break - Kris, Rich and Phil look back over a confusing set of results, a number of managerial changes, a worrying set of fashion choices from les Bleus, and much much more.
(Apologies for the abrupt cut-off at the end, slight technical issues)
Eight games in to Ligue 1 and after two games of the Champions League, Kris, Rich and Phil get together to discuss Dijon's first win, Monaco's revival, the European games, and more.
After a short international break, Kris, Phil, Jez and Rich round up what's happened in games 6 and 7, which leaves PSG and Angers equal on points at the top of the table. Saint-Etienne are in a bit of bother which leaves them in the bottom three, and Lyon are not in great shakes either.
Four games in, and Kris, Phil, Jez and Rich are here to look at the last round of games, the transfer window, the European draws, the upcoming international break and France selection, and Phil gets a bit sweary explaining why the League's move against homophobia does look to be largely like using gay people as an alibi for their ongoing oppression of football fans.
Kris, Rich and Phil are back to look back over game 3 of Ligue 1 and associated admin. Nice were bought, Monaco had a second-half collapse, PSG suffered key injuries, and Lyon lost away at Montpellier while we were recording so apologies for the squeaking in the background.
Game 2 of Ligue 1 saw some unexpected and exciting results, as PSG lost to Rennes, Lyon hit six past Angers, Metz saw off Monaco who look in a world of trouble, and Marseille continued to underwhelm with a goalless draw at Nantes.
Kris, Jez, Rich and Phil round up all the results, what are the various problems for various teams, how the situation is at Nice, and what's good to watch out for at the weekend.
The 2019/20 season is upon us, and Phil, Jez and Rich are back to cover game 1, the transfer market, where exactly Neymar is right now, and many other things.
The last round of Ligue 1 matches saw Dijon take the play-off spot, with Caen going down after a 1-0 home loss to Bordeaux. Kris, Jez, Phil and Rich look back at that and pick out their team of the season. The U20 World Cup is on, and the Women's World Cup is coming up, so we will be covering both over the summer now the league is out of the way.
Most things got sorted out in the last round, as Lille hammered Angers, and OL and ASSE both won, to sew up third and fourth spots and the European places for next season. However, there's still some stuff to sort out at the other end, so Kris, Phil, Jez and Rich are here to round that up, the recent UNFP awards, and the recent France squad announcement from Didier Deschamps.
Game 36 saw four of the challengers for Europe play each other, bookending the weekend's action. Kris, Phil and Jez cover Saint-Etienne 0-1 Montpellier, Marseille 0-3 Lyon, and the battle at the bottom as both Caen and Dijon win and Monaco lose at Nimes. Also some love for Lille, and what could be key next week.
After some key games at both ends of the table at the weekend, Kris, Jez, Rich and Phil are a full house to discuss Lyon drawing with Lille, Guingamp drawing with Caen, Saint-Etienne winning at Monaco, and the other Lyon v Lille match in the Coupe de France Feminine. They also go off-piste with a discussion about Ligue 2 and another about travelling fans.
On Saturday, Rennes won the Coupe de France for the third time, their first since 1971, beating PSG on penalties after a 2-2 draw that saw them come from 2-0 down. Rich is purring as he, Kris and Phil look back at a highly enjoyable cup final, the implications for Europe, the rest of the Ligue 1 action, and PSG's continuing wibbles. Elsewhere, OL are through to the Women's Champions' League final after beating Chelsea 3-2 on aggregate, where they will face Barcelona who beat Bayern in their semi.
PSG secure the title! Because Lille had a goalless draw at Toulouse, which meant they did that before even kicking off against Monaco. So the Kylian Mbappe hat-trick at the Parc de Princes on Sunday seemed a little underwhelming. Kris, Phil and Jez try to put all this into perspective, look at the race for Europe, the relegation battle, Lyon in the WCL, and other things.
Phil, Jez and Conor have a look at PSG's increasingly desperate attempts to sew up the Ligue 1 title that has looked nailed on since August, as the Parisians draw with bogey team Strasbourg, get hammered by Lille, and lose away at Nantes. We also cover Prince Gouano's response to racist chanting away at Dijon. the race for third, the amble for fifth, and various other issues.
After the international break, Kris, Jez and Phil look back over France's comprehensive wins in their first two Euro qualifiers against Moldova and Iceland, as well as the Women's Champions League and upcoming Coupe de la Ligue final and Ligue 1 fixtures.
France are out of Europe, after PSG's capitulation against Manchester United is followed by Barcelona beating Lyon 5-1 and Arsenal overturning Rennes' first-leg lead with a 3-0 home win. The gang's all here to discuss that, and the Classique which saw PSG beating OM 3-1 in a game that saw Steve Mandanda sent off, banjaxing OM's chances.
Kris, Jez, Phil and Rich cover all that, the relegation fight, various fan protests, the latest on Adrien Rabiot, and the France squad for the upcoming Euro qualifiers against Moldova and Iceland, as well as any other business.
After a week of European competition that was both the best and worst of times, Kris, Jez and Phil look back at PSG's capitulation against Manchester United, Rennes' great result against Arsenal, and the weekend's results in Ligue 1 - and also forwards to Lyon's trip to Barcelona.
European competition is back and while PSG take a 2-0 lead back to the Parc de Princes against an injury-hit Manchester United, the Europa League sees Rennes play Arsenal - this pits Kris against Rich, with Jez and Phil chipping in on the other stuff.
After some surprising results in Ligue 1, miscellaneous bitching about the January transfer window, and a French casualty in the Premier League, Kris, Jez and Phil round up all the happenings and try to remember that the Coupe de France has reached the quarter-final stage. At least no Ligue 1 goalkeepers have gone rogue since we last spoke.
After Lyon's battling goalless draw against Barcelona, Kris Jez and Phil look back at that, game 25, some catch-up games, and Rennes in the Europa League.
After a tricky week, featuring a frustrating Coupe de France game against third-tier opposition, a lengthening injury list, and being behind at the bookies, PSG still managed to dazzle at Old Trafford as they beat Manchester United 2-0 in the Champions League. Kris, Jez and Phil break down how the hell that happened, and many other things.
After a confusing round of what was mostly game 23 of Ligue 1, we also have cup games and catch-ups in the schedule that are messing with the system. Also messing with the system were Lyon, who did one of their big game performances to inflict PSG's first league loss of the season, winning 2-1.
As Ligue 1 pans through game 22, Kris, Jez and Phil round up all the action as OM struggle at home to Lille, Lille continue to be good, Monaco continue to be confusing as they bin Thierry Henry for the guy they binned earlier in the season, Guingamp are still dead last but in both cups, etc etc.
With the sad news that the search for Emiliano Sala's plane, piloted by David Ibbotson, has been called off, it's a sombre mood at FFW Towers this week. However, we do need to look at both the Coupe de France and Ligue 1. Kris, Phil, Rich and Conor do their best to round that up.
We're back, and so is French football! Phil, Jez and Rich have a look at how things stand at the midway-ish point (some December games yet to play) after 2019 opened with a cracking round of Coupe de France fixtures including 10 (ten) upsets. These including Angers being knocked out by sixth-tier regional team Viry-Chatillon, Gazelec Ajaccio ditto by Noisy-le-Grand, and the one you may have heard about, OM falling 2-0 to National side Andrezieux. The team also rounds up the Coupe de le Ligue quarter-finals and their favourite transfer rumours.
Yet again, the Ligue 1 schedule has hit some bumps in the road, with multiple postponements - but this will not stop us. Phil, Jez and Conor try to find something to discuss in amongst the red cards, European draws, cup matches, and ongoing issues with people in jackets.
Issues in France mean that there were only four matches played last weekend (the remaining matches scheduled for mid-January) and there's a number of postponements for the next weekend. Kris, Jez and Phil do their best to round that up, while focussing on PSG and OL in the Champions League.
A lot has happened since we last spoke, including game 5 of the European group stages, game 15 of Ligue 1, half or so of game 16 (we recorded during those) and the Ballon d'Or. Kris, Jez and Phil try not to get off-topic in covering all that, Ada Hegerberg's Ballon d'Or win, and looking forward to a Gilets Jaunes affected game 17, which will see both PSG v Montpellier and Toulouse v OL postponed at police request.
A quick turnaround at FFW Towers as Kris is joined by Phil and Conor to discuss the weekend's Ligue 1 action, and preview the upcoming European games, in which it's fair to say that things aren't going swimmingly for any of the French teams.
After an international break, Kris, Phil, Conor and Jez round up how France have finished 2018, and look forward to the next round of Ligue 1, including OL v Saint-Etienne on Friday.
A limited team this week as Phil and Conor Ketley round up the Ligue 1 results, the European fixtures, and the Coupe de la Ligue. They focus on Montpellier 3 - 0 Marseille and Monaco's ongoing tailspin, before looking at games to watch at the weekend. Go Nimes.
The team gets together to round up all the results in Ligue 1 and Europe, but mostly focus on Le Classique, where PSG won 2-0 away at Marseille. Kris, Jez, Rich and Phil discuss defense, discipline, form and focus as the Coupe de la Ligue kicks off around them.
The FFW Towers bug continues (sorry about the coughing) but doesn't stop Kris, Phil, Jez and Rich from rounding up the results in Ligue 1, Thierry Henry's poor but explicable start at Monaco, Montpellier in the sunshine, Lille's changing approach, whether Ligue 1 is worth watching, the European competitions, and much else.
There's a bug going around FFW Towers, but this won't stop us rounding up France's matches against Iceland and Germany, Thierry Henry taking over at Monaco, and the matches to look out for as Ligue 1 comes back for round 10. Plus, Deschamps' pyro birthday cake for his 50th, a Charles Aznavour tribute at Armenia v Gibraltar, and a Ligue 2 round-up.
A duet this week as Phil and Jez mull over the French teams' performances in Europe, what's happened in Ligue 1, who's passing to each other at PSG, and what exactly Monaco think they're doing considering firing Leonardo Jardim.
There's been three games in Ligue 1 since we last podded, so there's a lot for Rich and Conor to explain to Phil as she's been on holiday for the whole time and hasn't seen a kick of football. Lille and Saint-Etienne are both doing well, and Monaco seem finally to be struggling with their habit of selling key players every summer.
We also have the second round of the European competitions which see Lyon drawing 2-2 with Shakhtar Donetsk as we record, followed by PSG v Crvena Zvezda and the potentially awkward-to-watch Borussia Dortmund v Monaco on Wednesday in the Champions League.
Then, onto the Europa League, where time-zone issues mean that you can watch all three French teams in sequence, starting with FC Astana v Rennes, then Bordeaux v Copenhagen, and finishing with a must-win game for OM away at Apollon Limassol.
Europe incoming! Kris is joined by Rich, Phil and Conor to round up a fairly chaotic round of games in Ligue 1 and look forward to six French teams going into European action. OM get ready to play behind closed doors, PSG have new shirts for their trip to Liverpool, and Lyon might be rightly nervous about what will happen at the Etihad - we are getting in the biscuits in for three fun days in the opening round.
It's a full-house as Kris, Jez, Rich and Phil get together to review France's performances in UEFA's reasonably-successful-so-far attempt to make people take friendlies seriously. These included an impressive debut for Alphonse Areola, a goal for Olivier Giroud, a still wonky first-choice formation, and a lot of post-match celebrations as the World Cup was presented to the home crowd at the Stade de France.
As the transfer window slams shut(TM), Kris, Jez and Phil try to work out who's where and how the traditional big four - PSG, OL, OM and Monaco - have done this summer. Have they strengthened their squads, made necessary replacements, or just trod water? Phil's been at a wedding and hasn't seen any games, Jez forgets to mute his microphone when answering the front door, and Kris tries to hold everything together.
Four teams have two wins in Ligue 1 so far - including both of the promoted teams, as Nimes and Reims make it clear that they aren't just here to make up the numbers. Kris, Jez and Phil look back at an interesting weekend that saw PSG continuing to play the kids, OL being stymied, Marseille struggling against les Crocos, and Bordeaux losing while having a fairly significant manager issue.
The new Ligue 1 season kicked off with goals, goals, some more goals, and then yet more goals - 33 in all, including a seven-goal thriller between Angers and Nimes, two red cards, both promoted teams winning, some hilarious goalkeeping ricks, and Wahbi Khazri possibly shading the goal-of-the-week in the face of some very strong competition.
Kris, Jez, Rich and Phil get together to talk about every game, most of the goals, whether PSG are going to keep playing the kids, if this could be Lois Diony's season, Montpellier's shirts, VAR, and many other things.
After a short break, the team's back together! Still giddy from France's World Cup win, Kris, Rich, Phil and Jez mostly ignore the title 'race' to talk through who could make it to Europe, and which teams could be in trouble. They discuss the transfer market so far, bitch about TV coverage, and answer your questions along the way.
They did it! Phil, Jez, Rich and Conor are here to review the World Cup final that France won 4-2 against Croatia, Les Bleus' performance throughout the tournament, our hat-tips for best players, other high-points, and a look forward to what this could mean for the French team going forwards.
Yes! France are in the final of the World Cup after beating Belgium 1-0, and will face Croatia who beat England 2-1 after extra time. Phil, Jez and Conor review the match in which the French defence chucked a wet blanket over some of the best attackers on the planet, preview the final against a Croatia team capable of playing through fatigue after three matches went to 120 minutes, and nervously make their predictions for the final outcome. Phil also sings.
After France beat Uruguay 2-0, they are into the semi-finals, where they will face Belgium. Phil is joined by Jeremy Smit and Conor Ketley to round up how les Bleus played against the Albiceleste, and look forward to how the game against the Belgians will pan out.
Well. Phil and Jez get together to review the 4-3 win over Argentina, and look nervously forward to the quarter-final against Uruguay. After a positive performance including a great second-half ten minutes against an Argentinian side dealing with a lot of issues, including Benjamin Pavard's wondergoal and a brace from Kylian Mbappe, les Bleus will have a very different challenge on Friday.
A duet this week as Phil and Jez get together to look at the win over Peru, the whatever that was against Denmark, and forward to the Round of 16 game on Saturday against Argentina.
We are one game into Group C of the World Cup, and France won 2-1 against Australia on Saturday. Kris is joined by Jez and Phil to break that down and look forward to France's next game against Peru. Jez has a rant, Phil has some stats to reference, and Kris wants to know more about France's sock choices.
The gang's all here for a bumper pod to preview France's chances at the World Cup, as Kris, Jez, Rich and Phil look at the France squad, upcoming opposition, and compare the 1998 vintage with the 2018 promise. The excitement is mounting before France's first group game against Australia on Saturday.
We're gearing up for the World Cup as France have played and won their first two pre-tournament friendlies, against Ireland and Italy, with USA still to come. Phil is joined by Jez and Conor to discuss what we can learn from those, which less-starry France-based players could make an impact in Russia, including the Tunisian contingent, and how Kamil Glik seems to have injured himself. Also, the Toulon Tournament, Coupe de France Feminine, and what Zinedine Zidane's recent resignation could mean for France.
Phil, Jez and Rich round up the play-off results, OL's historic victory in the Women's Champions League, and France v Ireland, before moving on to the main topic, the FFW Team of the Season.
Join Phil, Jez and Rich for a round-up of the final day in Ligue 1, the European places, the relegation situation, the play-off prospects, the highlights of midtable, and managerial moves. OM had their hearts broken twice in four days, in the Europa final against Atletico Madrid, and with OL coming from behind to beat Nice, and Toulouse just the once, now preparing to play AC Ajaccio in the play-off, the first leg of which will be at Mosson for reasons.
Next week we will be arguing about our team of the season, so if you have any players for whom you want to make a case, leave a comment below or get in touch on Twitter, @FrenchFtWeekly.
This week Phil is joined by two special guests. First, Andrew Gibney pops back to FFW Towers for a look at how Lille managed to get away with that, and the rest of the Ligue 1 positions up for grabs as we head into the last day of the season. Then, new signing Conor Ketley is on hand to discuss the UNFP awards, PSG's latest managerial throw of the dice, and OM's chances in the Europa League final against Atletico Madrid.
It's a bumper pod this week as the gang look at the recently announced UNFP award nominees. We think Karim Benzema may have heard us. Kris, Phil, Jez and Rich discuss all the categories, covering coaches, goalkeepers, young players and best players, in Ligues 1 and 2, Division 1, and beyond. The awards will be announced on Sunday 13 May.
A special pod this week as the team as Arsene Wenger announces he will leave Arsenal at the end of the season. Phil hosts as Kris, Jez and Rich look back over 22 seasons at Arsenal, his time at Monaco, his impact, his key signings, and his possible future.
Phil, Jez and Rich discuss everything that has happened in France over the last week. This includes PSG winning their fifth title in six years beating Monaco 7-1, and OM putting in a massive home performance to get themselves into the Europa League semi-finals. They also look at Les Herbiers' win over Chambly to reach the final of the Coupe de France, where they will face PSG, and forward to the key games of the weekend.
Phil is joined by Rich and Jez to discuss all the happenings in Ligue 1, the race for Europe, the relegation battle, and a look at how well Rennes are doing to get up to fifth. Also, Marseille and their injury list have a Europa League quarter final second leg against RB Leipzig on Thursday.
Kris is joined by Rich and Phil to discuss the Coupe de la Ligue final, which PSG won 3-0 against a disappointing Monaco. They also look at some key games in Ligue 1 at the weekend, including Marseille winning away at Dijon, Strasbourg and Metz drawing 2-2, and Lille succumbing at home to Amiens 1-0.
There was a mild snafu as we lost connection part-way through, so there's a break in the audio - sadly we don't get to hear Rich's full breakdown of Strasbourg v Metz, but you get most of it. Sorry about that.
This week Kris is joined by Phil and Jez to round up everything happening in the interlull, as France lose 2-3 to Colombia then beat Russia 3-1. This also features the results from the various other French international teams playing in the break, the quarter-finals of the Women's Champions League where Montpellier and Lyon are in action, and a nod to the Coupe de la Ligue final on Saturday between PSG and Monaco.
Phil and Jez get together (and have some sound problems) while Rich is stuck in a traffic jam and Kris is stuck on a train somewhere to discuss Nice v PSG, and Marseille v Lyon, and the upcoming international friendlies which see France facing Colombia and Russia. Also, the Europa League and the Women's Champions League get a mention.
After PSG are knocked out of the Champions' League by Real Madrid, Kris is joined by Rich and Phil for a special edition focusing on les Parisiens. This takes in Neymar's absence, Verratti's presence (for a while), Cavani's effort, Unai Emery's employment situation, and many other things.
After last week's Champions League and Europa League games, Kris is joined by Jez and Phil to round up PSG's loss in Madrid and the rest of the European action as well as Ligue 1 over the weekend. This included Lille putting in an admirable second-half performance to get a point against Lyon, Ramy Bensebaini's penalty masterclass in Caen 2 - 2 Rennes, and Angers continuing to have 'doh!' moments losing 1-0 to Saint-Etienne.
Kris is joined by Jez, Phil and Rich, to round up Saint-Etienne 2 - 2 Marseille, Monaco's big win at Angers, PSG's upcoming match against Real Madrid, and OL's troubles against Rennes. Also, questions, Lacazette, the Europa League, Toulouse's Trollcam and Nantes' brilliant response to recent heavy-handed policing.
Kris is joined by Phil and Jeremy to discus the big games of the weekend, mostly Marseille 2-2 Monaco, plus Malcom diving and Metz winning. They then move on to transfer movements featuring much love for Olivier Giroud, and whether Bryan Dabo is just trying to put a collection of cool shirts together.
Kris is joined by Jez and Phil to look at OL 2 - 1 PSG and everything else going on in French football, including Bordeaux hiring Poyet, Toulouse binning Dupraz, Nice recovering, and the available Coupe de France action.
Phil, Jez and Rich get together for the first FFW Pod of 2018, reviewing the Coupe de France, glancing sideways at the Coupe de la Ligue and the transfer window, and looking forward to the return of Ligue 1 at the weekend. Which clubs might pull themselves together after the winter break? Which could tumble down the table? And which players need to get the hell out of that window? All these questions and more, come up.
As Ligue 1 hits the halfway stage and heads off for a break, Kris is joined by Jez and Phil to discuss how things have gone so far. We round up our tops, flops, managers, meltdowns, and teams of the season so far.
After a week out, Kris is joined by Jez and Phil to round up game 17, PSG's Champions' League campaign, Disneyland, the draw for the European knock-out rounds, some mild Coupe de la Ligue action, and what the hell is happening to Saint-Etienne right now.
With a midweek round going on all around them, Kris is joined by Jez and Phil to discuss PSG's increasing lead, OL's increasing goal difference, Caen v Bordeaux, Ligue 2, and the Monaco Project v3.0.
Phil, Jez and Rich get together to discuss Amiens, Lille, Fekir, Nice, Monaco and the upcoming Breton Derby, before a large chunk of the pod is rendered redundant as Bielsa is "momentarily suspended" shortly after we finish recording.
It's an international week, so Kris takes the helm with Phil, Jez and Rich to answer listeners' questions, ranging from the best players outside the top two, how the Coupe de France works, what Patrice Evra is up to, why Angers have a panda as a mascot, and how France should line up at the World Cup.
The team is back as Kris is joined by Phil, Jez and Rich to discuss the Rhone Derby, and whether we want to see that kind of thing, if PSG are the best team in Europe at the moment, Monaco's recent form, and whether Metz are doomed. Also tops and flops, why OL are kicking off at 6am in the Women's Champion's League, how Marcelo Bielsa is currently communicating, and what various levels of France are up to over the next week.
Kris is joined by Phil, Jez, and very special guest Andrew Gibney, to run the rule over the last round of Ligue 1 games, focusing on Lille v Marseille, as well as nods to the Coupe de la Ligue, European games, and the upcoming action at the weekend.
The team look back over the Ligue 1 action, focusing on le Classique as Marseille and PSG drew 2-2 and Neymar got sent off. They also run over the European match-ups, France friendlies, and look forward to the Coupe de la Ligue seiziemes and the next round of Ligue 1.
Kris is joined by Jez, Phil and Rich to look back over round 9 of Ligue 1, featuring Nabil Fekir sparkling in OL's 3-2 win over Monaco, Dijon being denied at the last by PSG, Lille screwing up again, and Marseille continuing to be highly entertaining for the neutrals. Also features a round-up of the Women's Champions League as both Lyon and Montpellier progress, and Rich trying to explain what is actually happening at Rennes at the moment.
Kris, Phil, Jez and Rich get together on the final whistle of France's victory over Belarus, which ensured World Cup qualification for les Bleus, to review the team's performance, Deschamps' selection, and how things look for Russia 2018. There's also a look at the U21s, making slightly heavy weather of qualifying for the 2019 Euros, and the Women's Champions League, where Montpellier are in a slightly tricky situation.
Kris is joined by Jez, Rich and Phil to discuss all the Ligue 1 happenings, PSG squad choice, Monaco jitters, whether Ligue 1 is crap, France, Didier Deschamps, the Women's Champions League, and why we are all here in the first place.
In this week's podcast, Kris is joined by Jez and Phil to round up a weekend of Ligue 1 action where PSG dropped points for the first time this season in a goalless draw away at Montpellier. Elsewhere, the Lille experiment continued to struggle on peer review with a 4-0 defeat at home to Monaco, Lyon had another 3-3 draw at home, this time to Dijon, and Bordeaux continued to impress with a 3-1 win over Guingamp.
Phil and Jeremy are joined by special guest Lana Dawood to cover the first group games in the Champions and Europa League, round 6 of Ligue including PSG v OL, and kit colours.
Kris, Phil, Jeremy and Rich are back to round up all the happenings in French Football, including Ligue 1 game 5, the upcoming European fixtures, red cards, leadership, and when Jez was born.
The gang's all here for a bumper podcast as Kris, Phil, Jeremy and Rich round up the end of the transfer window, France's highs and lows of the international break, your questions, and more.
Kris, Phil and Jeremy discuss the weekend's action in Ligue 1, and Robert Ludlum's lesser-known works, the Marseille Project, the Nice Paradox, and the International Break.
It's a new look for the FFW Pod for the new season, as new host Kris takes charge to look back at all the action from round 3 of Ligue 1 with Phil and Rich (Jeremy unfortunately unavailable). The team look at all the weekend's action, including Fekir's wonderstrike in Lyon 3-3 Bordeaux, PSG's 6-2 demolition of Toulouse, disorganised chaos at Lille, and forward to a round of games that will see Saint-Etienne the next team to take on the PSG juggernaut.
Phil, Jeremy and Rich look back over the summer's transfer business and how this affects the Ligue 1 teams as the new season gets underway.
The 2017 edition of Le50 is out! Phil, Jeremy and Rich discuss the list, including the players who have already moved, and some of the lesser-known entries.
You can find all 50 profiles here : http://frenchfootballweekly.com/le50-2017/
Phil, Jeremy and Rich round up some end-of-season events including the Coupe de France and Gambardella finals, and international tournaments currently underway, before getting on to the serious business of exactly what type of midfielder Jean Michaël Seri is as they pick a team of the season.
Phil, Jeremy and Rich look at how Monaco won the title, what happened in the relegation battle and Ligue 2's chaotic final day, look forward to the play-offs and the Coupe de France final, and Les Bleus news(various levels).
Phil, Jeremy and Rich look back over a less than cheerful set of European semi-final first legs and the last round of Ligue 1, and forward to the key games in the next Ligue 1 round, particularly at the bottom of the table. Also features various rants.
Phil, Jeremy and Rich look back on a busy couple of weeks featuring Ligue 1, multiple European competitions, and various international fixtures, and forward to a couple of cup competitions including the Coupe de la Ligue final and Coupe de France quarter-finals.
Phil, Jeremy and Rich round up three rounds of Ligue 1, a bit of Europe, Coupe de France, and admin - it is France, after all - and look forward to what might happen next.
Phil, Jeremy and Rich look back on PSG's 4-0 win over Barcelona - Barcelona - in the Champions League, review the last three rounds of Ligue 1 and look ahead to the Europa League and the next league round.
Team FFW review the restart in French football, including Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the Coupe de la Ligue, and transfer news.
Team FFW are back with a podcast looking at the first half of the French league season.
The FFW team discuss the recent international qualifier against Belarus. Although a disappointing 0-0 draw, there's no reason to panic...yet. Plus, the fate of the very talented Under-21 side. Guingamp are surprise league leaders, plus Mario Balotelli could make his Ligue 1 debut v Marseille.
Join the FFW podcast team as they guide you through the transfer deadline deals for players coming to France and the players signed by English clubs.
They talk about Mario Balotelli, Didier N'Dong, Sofiane Boufal, Benjamin Pavard, Romain Saiss...and more.
France play Italy and Belarus this week, so we squeeze that in at the end.
The FFW team talk about the opening weekend in French football.
Metz v Lille Bordeaux off to a great start against Saint-Etienne. Lacazette hat-trick v Nancy Malang Sarr, young player of the week. Look at Week 2.