Football Season Guide

Caen were undoubtedly the most disappointing side of 2020-21 in Ligue 2 as they flirted with relegation until the final weeks of the season. They were poorly led throughout, although key players simply did not perform, while an injury to striker Yacine Bammou also served to complicate their task in the latter part of the campaign. In response, they have appointed Stephane Moulin as head coach after a 10-year stint at Angers, where he had SCO punching well above their weight throughout. Caen are a club with a bigger potential and the expectation is that he will do the same at Stade Michel d’Ornano. Unsurprisingly, there have been some significant changes over the course of the summer, with 12 players in total leaving. Caen might have preferred more wholesale changes even than that. Nevertheless, they have shifted several disappointing big earners. So far, the only arrival has come in the form of Franklin Wadja on a free transfer from Lorient, although at least one more player should arrive as Moulin wants an attacker to replace Kelian Nsona, who will miss much of the campaign due to a knee ligament rupture. Nsona showed pace but was largely inefficient, so his loss should not be too heavily felt. Caen, meanwhile, have been showing some positive signs going forward, with Yoann Court beginning to look the dangerous presence he should be at this level and Caleb Zady promising in pre-season when deployed in a No.10 role. Although there is a general lack of experience in the squad, Jonathan Rivierez and Prince Oniangue are expected to form a solid defensive pairing in front of goalkeeper Remi Riou, although the youthful Alois Fouda could be vulnerable at right-back. Caen, though, have more promising building blocks to work with than last season’s finish would suggest and two or three arrivals before the transfer window closes could dramatically change their outlook for the season.