Lille hasn’t won a trophy for eight years. They seemed to be a European power just under a decade ago. Over the years, the club started to fall down the ranks in the league. The four-time Ligue 1 winners are now known as a side who struggle to avoid relegation nearly every season. However, this season is different for Les Dogues. They have something special planned and it will succeed.
Lille are in the Champions League Qualification Zone
Lille are in second place in the Ligue 1 table. Therefore, automatic qualification in the Champions League is the reward. Last season, the team barely survived and avoided relegation. Lille finished seventeenth place.
After the disappointing season, management knew there was work to do during the summer transfer window. Last summer, ten players were signed, eight of them on a permanent basis.
Two of those signing included former Chelsea man Loic Remy and Euro Cup winner Jose Fonte. All these signings cost the club less than €10 million as most were free transfers. Lille management did a great job in strengthening the squad.
At this rate, Lille would finish as runners up. Although they are far from catching up to Paris Saint-Germain to clinch the league title, to qualify for the Champions League is a huge achievement. They have a very young squad, with a few experienced players to lead the way. The average age of the squad is just over 24-years-old. These young talents could become world-class players, similar to Monaco’s team a few years ago and the current Ajax squad.
Lille coach Christophe Galtier’s first mission is to qualify for the Champions League, which is very possible. The next objective is to successfully compete in the competition. With a squad full of talent, these objectives could be easy to achieve as this Lille side looks to make history in Europe.
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