Football Season Guide

Metz are back in Ligue 1 after sneaking promotion via the backdoor as Laslo Boloni’s side found form late in the season to overtake Bordeaux to secure second place in Ligue 2. The top flight is by no means uncharted territory for this side. This will be their 10th season in the last 20 years they have played Ligue 1 – but they have been relegated in exactly half these campaigns. Avoiding that outcome will be difficult for a team that is something of a yo-yo club now. Metz have effectively the same team they used to win promotion last season. Boubacar Traore is the headline sale but was on loan at Wolves in any case, while Ibrahima Niane, the other player they have got a fee for at the time of writing, was another away on a temporary deal. In terms of signings, the only players who are likely to have an impact on the first team are striker Simon Elisor, who will be a backup option, and right-back Maxime Colin, who joins on a free transfer from Birmingham. Jean N’Guessan could be a wildcard player to watch after joining from Nice after an interesting season at Nimes in Ligue 2, while two Senegalese youngsters arrive from Generation Foot – an academy that has provided some rough diamonds, like Sadio Mane, to Metz in the past. Clearly Metz’s most important player will be striker Georges Mikautadze, who excelled last season and Boloni’s side claimed promotion. He scored 23 goals last season – Metz’s next top scorer was Youssef Maziz, who got only eight, while Ablie Jallow netted six. Mikautadze has major hopes pinned on him. He defence will be clearly defined, with Matthieu Udol and Fali Cande starting every game last season, while Ismael Traore and Koffi Kouao were also regulars. In midfield, much rests on defensive player Habib Maiga and Kevin N’Doram. While Metz can be pleased to have kept this squad together, these players have failed at Ligue 1 level previously, so Boloni must offer some tactical magic if they are to survive.