Football Season Guide

Auxerre were easy and deserving winners of Ligue 2 last season, a campaign in which they scored 10 more goals than any other club in France’s second flight and boasted a defensive record that was second best in the division. They were especially strong at home, with 12 wins from 19 games and just a couple of defeats. Back in Ligue 1 for just a second season since 2012, they are aiming to avoid the disappointment of the 2022/23 campaign, in which they dropped immediately down. AJA were relatively competitive on that occasion, though, with their 17th-place only resulting in relegation due to league reconstruction. A lack of goals in their last campaign saw them drop down, and head coach Christophe Pelissier seemed to have found a solution last term as goals rained. The combination of Ado Onaiwu, who was previously strong at Toulouse, and Florian Aye struck 27 goals in attack and have been joined by Theo Bair to add a third spoke to the dangerous centre-forward trio. Wingers Gauthier Hein and Gaetan Perrin were also important contributors to the team. Hein had the most goals plus assists, hitting double figures in each category, while Perrin matched his 10 assists. Right-back Paul Joly also chipped in importantly, with eight decisive passes overall. Auxerre have done well to retain all their key components from last season, which should give the squad a strong sense of stability. Offensively, Auxerre should have the tools to live at this level, with the centre of midfield one area in which they may struggle. Unlocking the attacking qualities of Joly from right-back could also be testing at a higher level. The defence, though, looks well set, with Jubal and Theo Pellenard in their peak years and capable performers at the lower end of Ligue 1, which is where Auxerre realistically expect to be.