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Last Weekend: Toulouse lift the Coupe de France, Roma create history and more titles are won

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It is only the end of April, yet we are seeing titles being handed out by the truckloads around Europe. This weekend was full of cup finals while some league titles were also clinched, so the agenda for our weekly column rather set itself.

By Neel Shelat

🇫🇷 France: Nantes 1-5 Toulouse

The Coupe de France was full of unexpected results and upsets once again this season. After their surprise success last year, defending champions Nantes made the final once again after beating the likes of Lens and Lyon. Their opponents at the Stade de France this time were Toulouse, who faced two second-tier opponents in the lead-up to this match.

This was only the second time that the Ligue 2 holders had reached the final in their long history. Their last appearance came way back in 1957, when a previous iteration of the club lifted their first major trophy – a high that they failed to replicate to this point.

On Saturday, though, they arguably surpassed it with a dominant display on the big stage. Philippe Montanier’s side absolutely blew their opponents out of the water, scoring two early set-piece goals en route to a four-goal lead in about half an hour. After that, it was simply a case of seeing the match out to hold this coveted trophy aloft, which they comfortably did.

Such unfancied sides surprisingly winning a trophy generally tend to be one-off successes, as happens to be the case of Nantes who now find themselves battling relegation from Ligue 1. For Toulouse, though, this could just be the start of a special era.

After their last relegation from Ligue in 2019/20, American investment agency RedBird Capital bought an 85% stake in Téfécé. They would go on to completely change the club, setting up a now-renowned scouting and recruitment department with a heavy emphasis on data-driven decision-making. 

This was the key behind their Ligue 2 triumph last year and has once again proven crucial as they look set to comfortably finish in mid-table in Ligue 1 with a squad containing representatives from 23 different nationalities. Montanier has got them playing some very good football that is easy on the eye, so most French football fans were happy to see them win the cup.

🇮🇹 Italy: Roma 2-1 Fiorentina

2022/23 will go down as a historic season in Italian football. Not only does Calcio have five representatives in European semi-finals along with a guaranteed spot in the UEFA Champions League final, but there also is a lot going on on the domestic front.

That includes Juventus’ well-documented ongoing case, as well as Napoli’s imminent title win, which will be their first since 1990. That might have been this week, but Salernitana played party poopers and held them to a draw.

Nevertheless, there was a title decided in Italy this weekend. In the first season of the Serie A Femenille after its full professionalisation, Roma have created history by winning their first-ever league title in their five-year history.

Their 2-1 win over Fiorentina this weekend did the job, ending Juventus’ streak of dominance since their foundation in 2017. This is a thoroughly deserved title for the Giallorosse, who have been the best side in the country by some way having dropped points on just two occasions in the league so far. They also made it to the Champions League quarter-finals, where they lost to would-be finalists Barcelona.

Clearly, this is only the start of a period of prolonged success for Roma.

🇳🇱 Netherlands: Ajax 1-1 PSV (2-3 on pens)

There was history made in the Netherlands as well this weekend. For the first time in the 125-year history of the KNVB Cup, last season’s finalists faced off in the decider once again.

Ajax lost to their old rivals PSV at De Kuip last year, so they would have hoped for a different result as the two rivals met again. Their quest for revenge would only have been made more intense by the two sides’ last meeting only a week ago, when PSV delivered a significant blow to Ajax’s Champions League ambitions.

Johnny Heitinga’s side initially looked much improved here, as they were in the ascendency throughout the first half and took the lead through a Jarrad Branthwaite own goal just before half-time. They could not maintain their performance levels in the second period, though, letting in an equaliser from Thorgan Hazard after a period of prolonged PSV pressure.

That took the game to extra time, where a lack of goals meant that it all boiled down to penalties. In a pretty unique shoot-out where only half of the efforts went in – largely thanks to a streak of four consecutive failures in the middle – it was PSV who prevailed as Wolves loanee Fábio Silva made no mistake with the final effort.

So, for just the second time in their history, PSV have won consecutive KNVB Cup titles, meaning Ajax’s season has gone from bad to worse just as we head in to the tailend of the season.

🇦🇹 Austria: Rapid Wien 0-2 Sturm Graz

Sunday was also Cup Final day in Austria, where there was no sign of RB Salzburg in this crucial match for the first time in a decade. They lost to Sturm Graz in the quarter-final, after which Graz got the better of LASK to set up a great shot at winning the trophy. Their final opponents were Rapid Wien, who last won this trophy way back in 1995.

There was a great atmosphere at the Wörthersee Stadion, as both sets of supporters recognised this golden opportunity to add a title in what is a period of almost total domination for Salzburg. On paper, Sturm were the slight favourites owing to their superior position in the league table and better form, but those things can sometimes go out of the window on such special occasions.

Thankfully for Sturm, that did seem to translate onto the pitch to some extent as they had the better chances in a frantic first half. The best opportunity fell to Manprit Sarkaria, who blazed wide from relatively close range with only a couple of defenders standing between him and an empty net.

The 26-year-old forward more than atoned for that in the second period by scoring two goals that will surely go down in his side’s history. He opened the scoring in the 67th minute and then sealed the result in the 82nd, securing a sixth cup title for Sturm Graz.

🇪🇸 Spain: Barcelona 3-0 Sporting Huelva

Back in league football, there was a much more predictable outcome in Spain. Barcelona Femení, undisputedly the most dominant women’s side in world football at the moment, have added yet another league title to their collection.

Once again, they have done so with a perfect record of 26 wins from 26 games, along with a goal difference figure in three digits. To find the last time they dropped points in a league fixture, you would have to go all the way back to June 2021 – 62 fixtures ago.

Even though Barcelona have secured a spot in the Champions League final and have won every one of their domestic matches this season, the treble is not on for them. That is because they were expelled from the Copa de la Reina for fielding an ineligible player, so they will not be able to defend that title.

Nevertheless, this looks set to be a very successful season for Barcelona yet again, although there will be a lot of expectations from the Champions League final in Eindhoven. The good news for them ahead of that game is that star midfielder Alexia Putellas made her long-awaited return from an ACL injury this weekend, so she should be up to full speed by then.

🏆 CAF Champions League: Espérance 1-1 JS Kabylie (2-1 agg)

Our last game is the only one where a title was not decided with the full-time whistle, but it was quite an important knock-out match nonetheless. The second legs of the CAF Champions League quarter-finals were held this weekend, so the tournament has now boiled down to four teams.

There is a nice split of major representatives from the continent’s most successful nations, including South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns, defending champions Wydad Casablanca, Egyptian champions-elect Al Ahly and Tunisian giants Espérance.

Sundowns and Al Ahly advanced with relative comfort, but the other two sides encountered some hiccups. Wydad ended up having to win a penalty shoot-out against Tanzanian side Simba SC, while Espérance had some very different problems in their match against JS Kabylie.

Things seemed to be going smoothly for them at half-time in Radès as they managed to preserve their first leg lead, but then everything changed at half-time. Kick-off for the second half was delayed significantly after a fire broke out in the stands. The exact cause of that remains unclear with some attributing it to fighting between the two sets of fans and others accusing an unknown group entering the stadium from outside, but what is certain is that the police intervened and fired tear gas. Unfortunately, there were several injuries reported among fans and the police, but the match eventually resumed.

On the pitch, the home side quickly added a buffer to their lead just a few minutes after the resumption. JS Kabylie pulled a goal back in the 85th minute and hoped to stage a dramatic turnaround thanks to the away goals rule, but they failed to do so.

So, in some rather unsavoury circumstances, Espérance advanced to the final four. It is unclear as to whether they will face some sanctions for these incidents with reports seemingly suggesting that CAF will take action.

Regardless, JS Kabylie must now turn their full attention to the Algerian Ligue 1, where they shockingly find themselves in serious danger of relegation.

Cover Image from IMAGO

Last Weekend: Toulouse lift the Coupe de France, Roma create history and more titles are won

It is only the end of April, yet we are seeing titles being handed out by the truckloads around Europe. This weekend was full of cup finals while some league titles were also clinched, so the agenda for our weekly column rather set itself.

By Neel Shelat

🇫🇷 France: Nantes 1-5 Toulouse

The Coupe de France was full of unexpected results and upsets once again this season. After their surprise success last year, defending champions Nantes made the final once again after beating the likes of Lens and Lyon. Their opponents at the Stade de France this time were Toulouse, who faced two second-tier opponents in the lead-up to this match.

This was only the second time that the Ligue 2 holders had reached the final in their long history. Their last appearance came way back in 1957, when a previous iteration of the club lifted their first major trophy – a high that they failed to replicate to this point.

On Saturday, though, they arguably surpassed it with a dominant display on the big stage. Philippe Montanier’s side absolutely blew their opponents out of the water, scoring two early set-piece goals en route to a four-goal lead in about half an hour. After that, it was simply a case of seeing the match out to hold this coveted trophy aloft, which they comfortably did.

Such unfancied sides surprisingly winning a trophy generally tend to be one-off successes, as happens to be the case of Nantes who now find themselves battling relegation from Ligue 1. For Toulouse, though, this could just be the start of a special era.

After their last relegation from Ligue in 2019/20, American investment agency RedBird Capital bought an 85% stake in Téfécé. They would go on to completely change the club, setting up a now-renowned scouting and recruitment department with a heavy emphasis on data-driven decision-making. 

This was the key behind their Ligue 2 triumph last year and has once again proven crucial as they look set to comfortably finish in mid-table in Ligue 1 with a squad containing representatives from 23 different nationalities. Montanier has got them playing some very good football that is easy on the eye, so most French football fans were happy to see them win the cup.

🇮🇹 Italy: Roma 2-1 Fiorentina

2022/23 will go down as a historic season in Italian football. Not only does Calcio have five representatives in European semi-finals along with a guaranteed spot in the UEFA Champions League final, but there also is a lot going on on the domestic front.

That includes Juventus’ well-documented ongoing case, as well as Napoli’s imminent title win, which will be their first since 1990. That might have been this week, but Salernitana played party poopers and held them to a draw.

Nevertheless, there was a title decided in Italy this weekend. In the first season of the Serie A Femenille after its full professionalisation, Roma have created history by winning their first-ever league title in their five-year history.

Their 2-1 win over Fiorentina this weekend did the job, ending Juventus’ streak of dominance since their foundation in 2017. This is a thoroughly deserved title for the Giallorosse, who have been the best side in the country by some way having dropped points on just two occasions in the league so far. They also made it to the Champions League quarter-finals, where they lost to would-be finalists Barcelona.

Clearly, this is only the start of a period of prolonged success for Roma.

🇳🇱 Netherlands: Ajax 1-1 PSV (2-3 on pens)

There was history made in the Netherlands as well this weekend. For the first time in the 125-year history of the KNVB Cup, last season’s finalists faced off in the decider once again.

Ajax lost to their old rivals PSV at De Kuip last year, so they would have hoped for a different result as the two rivals met again. Their quest for revenge would only have been made more intense by the two sides’ last meeting only a week ago, when PSV delivered a significant blow to Ajax’s Champions League ambitions.

Johnny Heitinga’s side initially looked much improved here, as they were in the ascendency throughout the first half and took the lead through a Jarrad Branthwaite own goal just before half-time. They could not maintain their performance levels in the second period, though, letting in an equaliser from Thorgan Hazard after a period of prolonged PSV pressure.

That took the game to extra time, where a lack of goals meant that it all boiled down to penalties. In a pretty unique shoot-out where only half of the efforts went in – largely thanks to a streak of four consecutive failures in the middle – it was PSV who prevailed as Wolves loanee Fábio Silva made no mistake with the final effort.

So, for just the second time in their history, PSV have won consecutive KNVB Cup titles, meaning Ajax’s season has gone from bad to worse just as we head in to the tailend of the season.

🇦🇹 Austria: Rapid Wien 0-2 Sturm Graz

Sunday was also Cup Final day in Austria, where there was no sign of RB Salzburg in this crucial match for the first time in a decade. They lost to Sturm Graz in the quarter-final, after which Graz got the better of LASK to set up a great shot at winning the trophy. Their final opponents were Rapid Wien, who last won this trophy way back in 1995.

There was a great atmosphere at the Wörthersee Stadion, as both sets of supporters recognised this golden opportunity to add a title in what is a period of almost total domination for Salzburg. On paper, Sturm were the slight favourites owing to their superior position in the league table and better form, but those things can sometimes go out of the window on such special occasions.

Thankfully for Sturm, that did seem to translate onto the pitch to some extent as they had the better chances in a frantic first half. The best opportunity fell to Manprit Sarkaria, who blazed wide from relatively close range with only a couple of defenders standing between him and an empty net.

The 26-year-old forward more than atoned for that in the second period by scoring two goals that will surely go down in his side’s history. He opened the scoring in the 67th minute and then sealed the result in the 82nd, securing a sixth cup title for Sturm Graz.

🇪🇸 Spain: Barcelona 3-0 Sporting Huelva

Back in league football, there was a much more predictable outcome in Spain. Barcelona Femení, undisputedly the most dominant women’s side in world football at the moment, have added yet another league title to their collection.

Once again, they have done so with a perfect record of 26 wins from 26 games, along with a goal difference figure in three digits. To find the last time they dropped points in a league fixture, you would have to go all the way back to June 2021 – 62 fixtures ago.

Even though Barcelona have secured a spot in the Champions League final and have won every one of their domestic matches this season, the treble is not on for them. That is because they were expelled from the Copa de la Reina for fielding an ineligible player, so they will not be able to defend that title.

Nevertheless, this looks set to be a very successful season for Barcelona yet again, although there will be a lot of expectations from the Champions League final in Eindhoven. The good news for them ahead of that game is that star midfielder Alexia Putellas made her long-awaited return from an ACL injury this weekend, so she should be up to full speed by then.

🏆 CAF Champions League: Espérance 1-1 JS Kabylie (2-1 agg)

Our last game is the only one where a title was not decided with the full-time whistle, but it was quite an important knock-out match nonetheless. The second legs of the CAF Champions League quarter-finals were held this weekend, so the tournament has now boiled down to four teams.

There is a nice split of major representatives from the continent’s most successful nations, including South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns, defending champions Wydad Casablanca, Egyptian champions-elect Al Ahly and Tunisian giants Espérance.

Sundowns and Al Ahly advanced with relative comfort, but the other two sides encountered some hiccups. Wydad ended up having to win a penalty shoot-out against Tanzanian side Simba SC, while Espérance had some very different problems in their match against JS Kabylie.

Things seemed to be going smoothly for them at half-time in Radès as they managed to preserve their first leg lead, but then everything changed at half-time. Kick-off for the second half was delayed significantly after a fire broke out in the stands. The exact cause of that remains unclear with some attributing it to fighting between the two sets of fans and others accusing an unknown group entering the stadium from outside, but what is certain is that the police intervened and fired tear gas. Unfortunately, there were several injuries reported among fans and the police, but the match eventually resumed.

On the pitch, the home side quickly added a buffer to their lead just a few minutes after the resumption. JS Kabylie pulled a goal back in the 85th minute and hoped to stage a dramatic turnaround thanks to the away goals rule, but they failed to do so.

So, in some rather unsavoury circumstances, Espérance advanced to the final four. It is unclear as to whether they will face some sanctions for these incidents with reports seemingly suggesting that CAF will take action.

Regardless, JS Kabylie must now turn their full attention to the Algerian Ligue 1, where they shockingly find themselves in serious danger of relegation.

Cover Image from IMAGO