Group A.
AS Corbeil Essonnes finished last with 14 points. Osvaldo Piazza, now 35, came back to Frenca after 3 years in Argentina, for his last season. It was disappointing season, as it turned out, but also the year he started his coaching career.
Entente Viry-Chatillon was 17th with 19 points. There was no doubt about those two from start – they were too weak and easily relegated.
Which was fine for Olympique Ales – they were safe with 26 points, although 16th place was hardly a success.
FC Limoges – 15th with 28 points.
Former national team striker Gallice, now too old, had to be satisfied with 14th place. AS Libourne was ahead of Limoges only on better goal-difference.
With playing coach Revelli Berrichonne Chateauroux finished with 29 points and 13th.
SC Angers far away from dream for return to top flight – 12th with 29 points.
AS Beziers – 11th on better goal-difference.
US Noeux-les-Mines finished 10th with 31 points. Not bad, but they were relegated – most likely because of financial irregularities.
SC Abbeville – 9th with 35 points.
En Avant Guingamp – well done. 8th with 35 points and better goal-difference than Abbeville. Keruzore the only well known name, by veteran by now and playing coach.
La Paillade Montpellier, with former national team player Santini, was good only for 7th place. 37 points.
AS Angouleme settled for second-division existence long time ago – 6th with 38 points.
AC Le Havre – 5th with 41 points.
Racing (Paris) – 4th with 43 points. Like the other formerly strong Paris clubs – Red Star and Stade Francais – they fell under the shadow of Paris SG and there was no way up.
US Valenciennes was 3rd with 47 points. They missed the boat, but nothing strange – known for unsettled club, constantly promoted and relegated, now they just stayed in the lower level for one year. May be more.
Olympique Nimes finished 2nd with 49 points. No high aspirations for the first place, but second was fine enough – they eventually won the play-off against Reims and returned to First Division. The big figures – van Gool, the Belgian striker famous from the great days of FC Brugge in the second half of the 1970s, and Nygaard, who was part of the impressive AZ’67 (Alkmaar).
One more return to top flight for Stade Rennes. They simply left everybody else far behind and dominated the league, finishing with 54 points. However, they too needed reinforcement for the next season – Rampillon and Bousdira were hardly enough to keep them among the best.