The Worst of the Worst Team to Ever Play in Ligue1

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As football fans, we've witnessed some truly horrific teams grace the pitches of Ligue 1 over the years. Some squads were so bad, it was almost comedic watching them try to string a few passes together, let alone score a goal. Let's take a look back at some of the most abysmal, hapless teams in the recent history of France's top flight and try to understand how they managed to be so excruciatingly poor. 

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Kicking things off has to be the notoriously awful Metz side from the 2008-09 season.

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Under manager Joël Muller, Les Grenats stunk up stadiums across France with their dreadful defensive displays and toothless attacks.

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They conceded a mind-boggling 88 goals that campaign while only finding the net 18 times themselves. Their minus-70 goal difference is the worst in Ligue 1 history. It's no surprise they were immediately relegated with a measly 12 points, winning only twice all year. Even their own fans struggled to watch this train wreck of a team each week.

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Another strong candidate for the title of worst ever is Le Havre from the 2009-10 season. Les Ciel et Marine somehow survived their first season back in Ligue 1, but it wasn't a pretty sight. They finished second bottom with a paltry 23 points, losing an eye-watering 26 of their 38 games. Somehow, they only scored 19 goals all season while shipping in 73 at the other end. It's unbelievable a team with such a negative goal difference (-54) didn't end up relegated. Their defensive naivety and lack of attacking prowess made them absolutely torturous to witness. 

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Those are just two examples but the competition for the unwanted crown of being classified the most inept Ligue 1 team is fierce. Some other shocking contenders include Troyes from 2015-16 (13 points, -55 goal difference) and Nancy from 2017-18 (20 points, -51 goal difference). While fans love an underdog, these clubs took it to uncomfortable extremes with their hapless, hapless displays. It makes you wonder how on earth they even made it to the top tier of French football in the first place. Their abysmal seasons will live long in the memory, more for their shameless failure rather than any stylish, memorable performances.