Ligue 2: Laurey cautious, Paris FC outsider and two new broadcasters ... what you need to know before the resumption

Fifteen days before Ligue 1, Ligue 2 resumes this Saturday.

A last season in this configuration with two direct climbs plus a possibility in play-offs.

In 2022-2023, there will still be the two climbs but more play-offs to make way for an L1 with 18 clubs.

For Paris FC, an unfortunate play-off last May (5th then 2-0 defeat in Grenoble), this will be its 5th consecutive season (8th, 4th, 17th, 5th) at this level and the objective is still to climb in the "2-3 years".

It is a smaller team waiting for reinforcements which will start on Saturday against Grenoble in… Gueugnon (the Stade des Alpes is under construction).

Laurey just wants to "talk about football"

Eight clubs have changed coaches during this offseason. Proof of the attractiveness of the L2, technicians with large CVs no longer hesitate to go down one level. This summer Thierry Laurey, who replaced René Girard at Paris FC after 5 years in Strasbourg, Stéphane Moulin arrived in Caen after a decade in Angers and Philippe Montanier (Toulouse) joined other experienced coaches such as the specialist in L 1 climbs. Jean-Marc Furlan (Auxerre) or Paul Le Guen (Le Havre).

"There is a certain anonymity in L2 and that suits me perfectly," explains Thierry Laurey.

My job is above all a football coach and now I just aspire to talk only about football.

I do not want to lose my strength as I have done in recent months on something else… I am very happy to have arrived at Paris FC, the L2 remains a very interesting championship.

»Laurey has already given access to Gazélec Ajaccio (2015) then Strasbourg (2017) in L1.

Paris FC unveiled its new shirts for the 2021/2022 season on Thursday.

PARIS fc

Big competition for the climb

The serious injury of Axel Bamba (rupture of a tendon in the hamstrings) who will be operated on Saturday and should be absent for at least four months has somewhat clouded the Parisian climate before this recovery.

"But if I start to worry before a first day, as much to go already to the asylum", ironizes Laurey who was on the other hand somewhat strangled on the reading of certain forecasts which placed Paris FC as big favorite at the same title than Dijon and Toulouse.

"It's rubbish," he scolds.

Today it is not possible, we do not have the ambition to say that we will go up.

We have a lot of young players to improve.

If we find a classic squad and work well, we can consider aiming for the top of the table.

But we cannot be put in the same basket as teams like Toulouse, Dijon or Nîmes.

"

The relegated from L1, in particular Dijon which recruited a lot and Toulouse, which narrowly failed the access roadblocks against Nantes, seem the best armed.

But there will also be a dozen contenders, at least for the places of dams, like Grenoble and all the former residents of L1, Auxerre, Caen, Le Havre, Guingamp, Nancy, Sochaux, Amiens ... "And every year, there is also a surprise, we, we will try to limit the breakage at the beginning, I am convinced that it is not necessary to be in front too quickly because it generates pressure ”, continues Laurey who hopes for“ reinforcements of experiences ”after the three recruits from National (Demoncy, Bernauer, Alfarela).

The L2 arrives in clear on the Team

The big news this season is that the L2 will be visible for free and in clear. Amazon has acquired 80% of the rights to L2 and signed a partnership with the channel L'Équipe for the unencrypted broadcast of the multiplex (8 matches) from Saturday (7 p.m.) every day. While waiting for Amazon to be set up, the Team site will offer each of the eight matches for free during the first ten days, via 8 broadcasting channels accessible on the application and the platform of the L'Équipe site. Historical broadcaster of the L2, beIN keeps its two games - often the best posters of the day - in the usual boxes of Saturday afternoon (3 p.m.) and Monday evening (8:45 p.m.).