Clermont’s win over PSG caps a brilliant season for Pascal Gastien

The final standings in Ligue 1 may look familiar, save a bravura display from Lens, but there were still some surprises to be found this season. Toulouse impressed by winning the Coupe de France and staying up comfortably, as did the often swashbuckling Lorient and Montpellier. Reims turned heads across Europe as their young manager, Will Still, put together a 19-match unbeaten run. But for keen observers of Ligue 1, perhaps the biggest surprise came at the Parc des Princes on Saturday, when Clermont Foot 63 defeated the champions.

Whereas Lens and Reims benefited from strong investment (by Ligue 1 standards), Toulouse had plenty of continuity in their playing staff, and Montpellier’s happy reunion with Michel der Zakarian was unsurprising given he had nearly taken the club to Europe in recent seasons, Clermont had none of this – just a canny, veteran manager in Pascal Gastien.

Gastien had a distinguished playing career in France, making more than 300 before going on to manage Niort, a team from western France who have played just one season of top-flight football in their existence. He did well with the club, coming second in the third-tier Championnat National and earning promotion to Ligue 2. Despite avoiding relegation with Niort in successive seasons, he was dismissed in 2014 and, after a forgettable spell at Chateauroux, it seemed there would be little special to come from his managerial career.

However, he was appointed to run Clermont’s reserves in 2016 and, within a year, he was the senior team’s manager. After a few years of steady improvement, he guided the club to second place in Ligue 2 in 2021, securing promotion to the top flight for the first time in their history. That first season in Ligue 1 proved a struggle. His tactical approach impressed but his team only stayed up due to historically poor seasons from fallen giants Saint-Étienne and Bordeaux, both of whom were relegated.

Clermont were expected to find Ligue 1 even tougher this season after some key players left in the summer. Leading scorer Mohamed Bayo joined Lille, while midfield lynchpin Salis Abdul Samed headed to Lens. Other players followed suit and their replacements looked, on paper, of an even lower quality. Maxime Gonalons, whose career had drifted since he had left Lyon was, at 33, brought in to replace Samed in midfield. Jérémie Bela and Mehdi Zeffane also looked like damaged goods – or at least players bought on the cheap.

When the season started with a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of PSG, it seemed to be a taste of things to come, but results quickly improved with wins over Reims and Nice. What’s more, despite never really pushing for the European places, Clermont have been one of the league’s form teams over the last few months. They won eight of their last 10 matches of the campaign – a run capped by their 3-2 win against PSG on Saturday – and finished eighth in the table.

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After losing 5-0 at home to PSG on the opening weekend of the season, it was fitting that Clermont came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at the Parc des Princes on the final day. Granted, it was a dead rubber for the hosts, they were missing half a dozen first-team regulars, and their minds were with their teammate Sergio Rico, who sustained serious injuries in a horse riding incident last weekend. That said, the PSG players did want to send Lionel Messi off with a victory.

What Gastien has achieved this season is remarkable given he has done it with a group of players who have little experience of Ligue 1. Lacking the direct threat of Bayo, he has rejigged his team so they build more from the back. Gastien keeps things solid with three relatively mobile defenders, all of whom lacked experience in Europe’s top five leagues, but had played extensively in European competition at their previous stops.

The club prioritise mental strength when recruiting players. “We are very careful about the mentality of the player,” said Gastien last month when asked what Clermont look for in a signing. “We know that we can only get out of [the relegation battle] collectively. Recruitment is something that is a top-down process. We get information about the player and then we go to see them play. You can learn more about his state of mind and what he can contribute collectively.”

Gastien has forged a strong mentality in his team. Thirteen of their wins this season came by a single goal, and few teams have come from behind as often as his side. With none of his players obvious targets for a move away, and the club’s Under-19s having finished runners-up to Monaco in the Gambardella youth cup this season, there is even hope that things can continue to grow.

Clermont are building a new stand at their modest stadium and, while a push for Europe seems far fetched given their resources, a sustained spell in Ligue 1 looks likely under Gastien’s stewardship – no mean feat for a club of Clermont’s standing.

Talking points

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Nantes benefited from Auxerre’s defeat, but the fact they have stayed up is unquestionably a good thing for the division. The passion on display at the Stade de la Beaujoire is among the best in the league and they have plenty of potential to rebuild – even if players such as Ludovic Blas and Pedro Chirivella depart this summer.

After earning nearly two points per match since the return of Michel der Zakarian in February, Montpellier have a big summer ahead. The club’s hierarchy previously thought the manager lacked the necessary acumen, but his results have rebutted that idea. In the 16 matches since his return, only Lens and PSG have picked up more points, and only the champions have scored more goals. The club now have to decide whether to keep Elye Wahi, their young striker who has enjoyed a great campaign, or cash in on him and reinvest the money on reinforcing the squad as a whole.

Rennes sealed fourth place by beating Brest on Saturday. They struggled with injuries and fatigue after playing in Europe, but the return to fitness of Jérémy Doku, as well as some strong displays from Amine Gouiri, have taken Bruno Génésio’s back into Europe, something that seemed unlikely after their five-match winless run in March.