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Lille were crowned champions of France in the 2010/11 season and, exactly a decade later, they have once again won the Ligue 1 title. Christophe Galtier’s side pulled off a miracle by running PSG close in the title race, before exceeding all expectations to become the champions.
The last Lille team to win the title had Eden Hazard and Gervinho as its leading marksmen. This current side, though, has a mixture of youth and experience.
Former Southampton skipper Jose Fonte, 35-year-old Turkey striker Burak Yilmaz and 21-year-old Canada forward Jonathan David have been the stars of this triumphant Lille team.
Lille dethrone PSG
Despite not being at their best this season, PSG were largely tipped by many to win the league. The Parisians have a squad that is thrice more expensive than Lille’s.
However, Galtier’s shrewd coaching ensured Lille gave PSG a run for their money. Previously considered as the underdogs, Lille went into the final day of the season as huge favorites to win the title. All they needed to do was win their last game of the season against Angers, and they did exactly that.
By the time the referee blew his whistle at the end of the first half, Lille were already cruising 2-0, thanks to goals from the usual suspects, David and Yilmaz.
Angelo Fulgini pulled one back late for Angers but Lille held on to win the game, dethroning PSG as champions of France.
Lille's fairytale similar to Leicester City's success story
The last time Lille were crowned champions, it was not as remarkable as their current feat. At the time PSG’s new owners had just arrived and they weren’t yet a dominant force.
However, the Parisians have since transformed into a European juggernaut by buying the best players and employing the best managers around.
That is why Lille’s triumph in Ligue 1 is the ultimate football fairytale. It is akin to Leicester City's success story when they won the Premier League in 2015/16.
Galtier has done very well to drag this Lille team to the finish line when very few people gave them a chance. Having dethroned the powerful PSG, Lille may just have created the sports fairytale of the decade.
