Bordeaux wins 1st French title since 1999

CAEN, France (AP) -- Bordeaux won the French league title for the first time since 1999 by beating Caen 1-0 on Saturday.

It was the 11th straight win for Laurent Blanc's team, which finished with 80 points to stay three ahead of Marseille, which beat Rennes 4-0.

Blanc was quick to deflect the praise away from himself, despite having guided Bordeaux to the title in only his second year as coach. Bordeaux finished runner-up to Lyon last year.

"When you are lucky enough to be champion, you have to share it with everyone,'' Blanc said. "I'll have time afterward to savor it myself. But tonight and tomorrow I want to share it with all the staff. They have done a great job over the last two years.''

Bordeaux's extraordinary late run of form, which included a League Cup title for 12 straight wins overall, proved too much for Marseille, which was caught with two rounds to go, and for seven-time defending champion Lyon.

"For a while everyone thought Lyon would win, me included, but then they slipped up. Then it was Marseille's turn,'' Blanc said. "The pressure only came on us right at the end, while the others had it all along. I think that was something in our favor. We turned some games round in the last minutes. This shows the players have exceptional mental strength.''

Blanc said he first sensed his team could win the title after beating Lyon 1-0 on April 19.

"It was the turning point of our season. If we were capable of beating Lyon, we could do anything,'' Blanc said. "Everyone knew then that Bordeaux would have an important role to play. We realized that we could do something big.''

It gave the team a huge boost, especially seeing as Bordeaux had finished six points behind Lyon last year, and lost both matches to Lyon.

"I told my players at the end of last season that we played very well, but no one would remember it,'' Blanc said. "I said that if we could play well again and add a title this time, a new chapter would be added.''

It was Bordeaux's sixth league title, and the last in 1999 was also secured on the final day. The other championships were in 1950, '84, '85, and '87.

Caen and Nantes were relegated along with Le Havre in the final round of games.

"There's a lot of sadness tonight. We couldn't rise to the challenge,'' Caen captain Nicolas Seube said. "It's a huge waste as there is a lot of talent in this team. But if we have 37 points it means that mistakes were made.''

Bordeaux scored in the 49th minute when Yoann Gourcuff's free kick found Benoit Tremoulinas sprinting down the left, and his cross was headed in by Yoan Gouffran, against his former team.

Caen missed a great chance to level in the 81st. Sambou Yatabare went clean through but could not get enough power on his shot to trouble goalkeeper Ulirch Rame, with striker Steve Savidan screaming for a pass.

In Saturday's other results, it was: Grenoble 0, Sochaux 1; Lille 3, Nancy 2; Lorient 1, Le Mans 1; Nantes 2, Auxerre 1; Nice 0, Le Havre 0; Paris Saint-Germain 0, Monaco 0; Saint-Etienne 4, Valenciennes 0; and Toulouse 0, Lyon 0.

Toulouse finished fourth, while Lille took fifth. Both qualified for next season's Europa League.

At Stade Velodrome, Marseille scored three quick goals early in the second half.

Bakary Kone opened the scoring in the 51st minute, Mamadou Niang made it 2-0 four minutes later, and Rennes goalkeeper Nicolas Douchez conceded an own goal in the 58th. Niang's second of the night in the 71st gave Marseille coach Eric Gerets a resounding win in his final game in charge of the club.

Gerets was given a standing ovation as he left Stade Velodrome.

"There will be regrets but there is a lot of satisfaction on a human level. It was something special,'' Gerets said. "I lived on a cloud for two years here and I am leaving on the same cloud. Thanks to everyone for what I experienced here.''

Marseille dominated the first half and Douchez saved well from Hatem Ben Arfa and Niang.

Douchez was beaten by Boudewijn Zenden's free kick in the 35th, but the ball bounced back off the crossbar.

Saint-Etienne found form at the right time to leapfrog Caen and take 17th place with 40 points.

Saint-Etienne took the lead in the 14th minute through striker Araujo Ilan, while Bafetimbi Gomis scored twice in the second half before Kevin Mirallas completed the rout with a late goal.

Mevlut Erding scored Sochaux's winner, while Lyon had defender John Mensah sent off late in the first half for a second yellow card after he fouled Andre-Pierre Gignac, the French league's top scorer with 24 goals.

Lens, Montpellier, and Boulogne-sur-Mer were all promoted to the first division.