Nimes fought for promotion to Ligue 1 until the final day of the season but ultimately missed out by a whisker. The Gard outfit enjoyed such a strong campaign that head coach Bernard Blaquart was named the outstanding boss in the league, and it was despite many challenges that they remained in contention to go up to the last. Early in the campaign, Nimes struggled to get to grips with their home form, and indeed their inability to pick up victories at Stade des Costieres would prove to be a major problem for them throughout the campaign. Although they rarely lost at home, they gave up valuable ground because they conceded crucial goals. It was fitting that their promotion hopes were perhaps fatally hit by a 1-0 loss to struggling Auxerre at home. On the road, however, they were excellent. Blaquart built an attractive attacking side that was full of pace and panache in an offensive sense. They were led by Rachid Alioui, who enjoyed a terrific start to the season before being struck down by a serious knee injury that prematurely ended his campaign with barely half of it gone. To make matters worse, Christian Kouakou, who had been an important partner in crime offensively, picked up a problem at a similar time from which he never really recovered. Others stepped forward, however. Renaud Ripart ended the season on eight goals, as did Teji Savanier, who also picked up the crown of top assist maker in Ligue 2. Furthermore, winger Ousmane Cissokho, who had been such a force a couple of seasons ago, rediscovered his best level towards the end of this campaign, suggesting he could be a player to look out for in the future once more. Elsewhere in their ranks, Larry Azouni was the key figure in the midfield, though Nimes suffered when he was away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations. The defence was not especially robust, although Anthony Briancon did chip in with six goals, while goalkeeper Gauthier Gallon missed a large portion of the season injured, too, after Mathieu Michel was sold to Angers in August. Only the smallest details kept Nimes from challenging, and if they can retain the core of their squad they should be aiming to go up next time around.
