Toulouse

World Cup fever swept the nation over the past few months, and now the tournament has finished the spectators’ attentions are waiting for the next big thing. After France achieved the 1^st place trophy in Russia, the interest in watching Ligue 1 clubs compete has greatly increased.

Due to this curiosity when it comes to the French club teams, we thought we would put together this article to discuss all things French football. From the upcoming players to how the make-up of the French soccer leagues is, you will find this all out below.

About Ligue 1 and its Influence

Ligue 1 is the top tier league for French club teams with the Ligue 2 and Champtionnat National beneath it. Therefore, the highest scoring sides are seen in the top division compared to those of smaller lesser skilled ones.

How the transition between these three work, is that at the end of a tournament, the bottom three teams are relegated to the league beneath it and the top 3 teams from lower leagues are promoted. And when

21st August 2017. By Edward Stratmann.
The future of Max Gradel has been a topic of much contention this summer, with conflicting reports regarding where he'll be plying his trade this season whirring relentlessly.

Having not started a single Premier League game last season for Bournemouth, the injury troubled Ivory Coast international unsurprisingly attracted the interest of the likes of Toulouse and Sunderland. Eddie Howe, the Cherries manager, however, insisted the explosive winger was still very much a part of his plans for the 2017/2018 campaign, especially after his strong work in preseason. "His attitude has been so good that we would be very reluctant to lose him. He has had a good pre-season so far, he has trained very well and is an important part of our squad," Howe explained.

"This preseason, he has shown he is back to his best. He has been really sharp and really impressive. He always has a smile on his face and he is very passionate about the game, about Bournemouth, and I

30th April 2016. By Edward Stratmann.
When Pascal Dupraz took over the managerial reigns at Toulouse at the beginning of March, he knew he had his work cut out to save le Tefece from relegation.

With the club 19th on the table and a whopping 10 points from safety, Dupraz was eager to get stuck in and set about reversing the club's fortunes. Firstly, before he could even really get started, the 53-year-old had to overcome a major health scare that he suffered on just his second day in charge.

"The first moments with Toulouse were tough for me, I signed on a Wednesday then collapsed on the training pitch on the Thursday. It will be remembered as part of my time here with Toulouse," Dupraz explained to the Ligue 1 Show.

The signs were indeed ominous for the seemingly doomed club, but Dupraz's tenure has been an overwhelmingly positive one so far, especially considering the horrific rut Toulouse were in when he took over. Dupraz has overseen his side get to within just three points of safety

For Toulouse FC 2015 - 2016 is a new start following a disappointing season in 2014/15. Toulouse FC fans didn't have a lot to be happy about during the 2014 2015 football season. Their club had a decent start to the season, winning four of their first nine games and reaching as high as eighth place on the Ligue 1 standings table. But a disastrous run from October to December-they lost seven games in a single two-month period-put TFC in dire straits heading into the New Year. When all was said and done, Toulouse ended the season with a record of 12 wins, six draws, and 20 losses, and finished at 17^th place on the Ligue 1 table.

In other words, TFC managed to avoid relegation, but only narrowly. They ended the 2014 2015 campaign five points ahead of Evian and, therefore, weren't in much danger of tumbling into the red zone. Still, the poor performance resulted in the March sacking of manager Alain Casanova-who had been with the team for nearly seven years-and puts them in a tough spot as