Football Season Guide

Bourg have done a positive job of establishing themselves as a club in Ligue 2 and this time around will play their third successive campaign at this level. Herve Della Maggiore's side comfortably avoided the drop last term and, though they finished 15th in the standings, that was in large part due to their poor form in the closing weeks of the campaign. Nevertheless, they will be wary heading into the new season and will seek to make a strong start in order to take the pressure off, as they have yet to be involved in a serious relegation battle at this level. Over the course of the summer, they have seen a handful of strong performers leave, with goalkeeper Julien Fabri's return to parent club Marseille arguably the deal that weakens them most. Loic Damour, an important influence in midfield, has gone to Cardiff while attacker Romain Del Castillo has returned to Lyon too. Jason Berthomier, who was strangely underused last season, has gone to Brest but Bourg have complained bitterly about the methods they used to sign him. It is the defence that is the area of the side that will give the coach most cause for concern and, as such, that is where he has signed this summer. Goalkeeper Gaetan Deneuve has arrived from third-tier side Frejus, though he has experience at this level, while Pape Paye and Gregoire Amiot both arrive to presumably become first-team regulars in the back four. Adama Sarr, who scored 12 times in 28 games in the third tier for Les Herbiers last term, joins the attacking line, where Lakdar Boussaha is the key figure. Better balance will be required in the midfield, which still seems under construction to an extent but that was the case for much of last term as a lack of consistency hurt the Rhone side. Nevertheless, changes to the squad are to be kept to a minimum before the end of the transfer window.