France. Brand new champion and some tiredness detected. A generation was going to change.
Second Division, Group A.
No contest at the top – one favourite. Two outsiders.
FC Grenoble – last and relegated with 19 points. Two Eastern European veterans going way downhill now – Csapo was playing for Hungary not long ago and Zdenek Nehoda was champion of Europe with Czechoslovakia in 1976.
ECAC Chaumont – 17th with 26 points and relegated.
Red Star – lucky survivor: 16th with 30 points.
SF Istres – 15th with 30 points.
FC Montceau Bourgogne – 14th with 30 points.
CS Thonon – 13th with 31 points.
AS Cannes – 12th with 31 points. Ruud Krol was taking it easy at his old age here. It was somewhat fitting to have famous player in the city of the glamorous film festival.
FC Martigues – 11th with 32 points.
FC Gueugnon – 10th with 33 points.
FC Tours – 9th with 34 points.
AS Beziers – 8th with 35 points. Janvion played here now and fared better than Krol.
CO Le Puy – 7th with 35 points. This group was like a reserve for 1970s heroes – Hugo Bargas here.
Olympique Nimes – 6th with 38 points. More old species – Poortvliet and Nygaard.
La Paillade Montpellier – 5th with 39 points. Back to the 1978 World Cup – two Hungarians, Torocsik and Zombori.
FC Sete – 4th with 40 points. Bathenay here, not to miss encounters with his old playmate Janvion and those well known others.
Olympique Lyon – 3rd with 40 points. Another relic – Topalovic. 10 years ago he was seen as better option than Schumacher and that was that… a momentary chance, missed.
Olympique Ales – 2nd with 41 points. Good season, but promotion was out of reach.
AS Saint Etienne – won the championship easily with 46 points from 18 wins, 10 ties, and 6 losses. 50-29 goal-difference. Kasperczak did good job coaching the team and it was quick return to top flight, but it was not much of a squad. Milla was practically the star and it was not at all sure such a team could survive in the first division. Restoring the old glory was out of question.