AS Monaco retained their top-flight status, despite losing 2-0 against Riviera rival OGC Nice on the final day of their Ligue 1 campaign on Friday.
Two years after making it to the Champions League semi-finals, the Principality team slumped to an 18th defeat in 38 matches to end fourth from bottom.
Monaco, champions in 2017, finished two points above Dijon FCO, who need to win a playoff to remain among the elite next season after beating Toulouse 2-1.
Photo: AFP
Stade Malherbe Caen’s slim hopes of staying up were dashed by a goal from Younousse Sankhare, who sealed a 1-0 win for visiting Girondins de Bordeaux. Caen are to be relegated alongside bottom club En Avant de Guingamp, who were already down and lost 2-1 against Amiens SC.
Runners-up to Paris Saint-Germain last season, Monaco suffered a woeful season highlighted by the firing and rehiring of coach Leonardo Jardim, who returned after Thierry Henry failed in his first managerial post.
“The most important thing was to stay up,” striker Radamel Falcao said. “Unfortunately we did not win, but we created many chances.”
Already crowned champions, PSG finished with a 3-1 defeat against Stade de Reims, despite a goal from Kylian Mbappe, the league’s top scorer with 33.
In other games, Olympique de Marseille beat Montpellier HSC 1-0, while RC Strasbourg Alsace defeated Nantes 1-0.
PSG sealed a sixth league title in seven years, but failed to retain their Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue crowns this season. The Qatari-backed club was also eliminated in the Champions League last-16 for the third straight year.
The capital club finished with five league defeats, their worst total since the 2012-2013 season.
Runners-up Lille OSC, who lost 3-1 to Stade Rennais, are to join PSG in the Champions League group stages next season. Third-place Olympique Lyonnais, who beat Nimes Olympique 3-2, should start the competition in the qualifying round, but would go directly into the groups if Chelsea, who have already qualified, win the Europa League final against Arsenal on Wednesday.
Saint-Etienne, who drew 1-1 with Angers SCO, finished fourth, gaining a place in the Europa League.
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