Bordeaux fans queue up for chance to see title win
Güncelleme Tarihi:
The Associated Press
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 23, 2009 00:00
PARIS - Having waited 10 years for a French league title, Bordeaux fans were happy to get up at the break of dawn Monday morning and queue outside the club shop in the hope of obtaining one of 200 remaining tickets for Saturday's potentially title-deciding home game against Monaco.
Bordeaux can win its first title since 1999 if it beats Monaco and Marseille fails to win at Nancy in Saturday's 37th and penultimate round. After Marseille lost 3-1 at home to Lyon on Sunday, the title race swung Bordeaux's way and coach Laurent Blanc's team looks in unstoppable form with 10 straight wins since March 14.
"There are two matches left to take first place. We will prepare properly and do everything we can to take it," Blanc said. "If that is not enough, if another team is better placed than us despite our exceptional run, it means they will have deserved their title."
But Marseille's hopes of a first title since 1992 are hanging by a thread, in large part because of the outstanding form of Bordeaux playmaker Yoann Gourcuff, who has scored six goals in his last five games - many of them decisive. "All the great players make the difference. Everyone is focusing on Yoann and rightly so, but there are other players to congratulate," Blanc said. "We can go very far with these players." Bordeaux has 74 points from 26 rounds, while Marseille has 71 points.
"There are two matches left to take first place. We will prepare properly and do everything we can to take it," Blanc said. "If that is not enough, if another team is better placed than us despite our exceptional run, it means they will have deserved their title."
But Marseille's hopes of a first title since 1992 are hanging by a thread, in large part because of the outstanding form of Bordeaux playmaker Yoann Gourcuff, who has scored six goals in his last five games - many of them decisive. "All the great players make the difference. Everyone is focusing on Yoann and rightly so, but there are other players to congratulate," Blanc said. "We can go very far with these players." Bordeaux has 74 points from 26 rounds, while Marseille has 71 points.