LENS have been crowned champions of France for the first time, after a 1-1 draw at Auxerre helped them beat Metz, 1-0 winners over Lyon, to the title on goal difference. Neither of the top two had won the championship previously. Lens had been runners-up in 1956, 1957 and 1977 and had won the 1944 wartime league. Metz managed third in 1969. Lens led by two points, with a goal difference five better than their rivals, going into the weekend's matches.
Lens, who had won their previous seven games on the trot, went behind when Sabri Lamouchi crashed home a low right-foot shot from 20 yards in the 14th minute. At this point Metz had the championship in their grasp, as they were already ahead at Lyon, Bruno Rodriguez having given them the lead after just four minutes. Lyon, though, were hoping to qualify for Europe a draw would be enough for them, as would Auxerre failing to beat Lens.
Lyon were unable to improve their own position, but never looked like conceding the six goals which would have given Metz a goal-difference advantage. And there was joy for both Lyon and Lens when Yohan Lachor of Lens equalised from six yards in the 53rd minute. Cameroon midfielder Marc Vivien Foe, who has been linked with Manchester United, then had his header cleared off the line as Lens went for victory, but the draw was good enough to take the title to the far north of France and keep Lyon in Europe.

BUNDESLIGA ROUND-UP Karlsruhe And Cologne Down KARLSRUHE and FC Cologne have been relegated from Germany's First Division. Borussia Monchengladbach and Bochum pulled themselves clear of danger on the last day of the season. Monchengladbach beat Wolfsburg 2-0 and Bochum beat 1860 Munich 1-0, while Karlsruhe lost 4-2 against Hansa Rostock. Cologne were relegated for the first time in their history, and didn't go down quietly. German police arrested around 265 fans who went on the rampage pelting trams carrying the Bayer Leverkusen supporters away from the ground with bottles and stones following their 2-2 draw. The police released all the detainees on Sunday. Stuttgart, who meet Chelsea in the European Cup Winners' Cup final on Wednesday, beat Werder Bremen 1-0, though they had Fredi Bobic sent off. The Germany striker proved his fitness, but clashed with Bremen goalkeeper Oliver Reck, who suffered a dislocated shoulder. The win assured Stuttgart of a UEFA Cup slot should they lose to Gianluca Vialli's men on Wednesday, which means Bremen are now cheering on their vanquishers: if Stuttgart win the Final the UEFA place will go to Bremen.

EURO ROUND-UP Dutch, Bulgarian And Israeli News WILLEM II Tilburg beat Sparta Rotterdam 3-0 on the final day of the Dutch First Division season to claim the last UEFA Cup place. Willem II joined Vitesse Arnhem and Feyenoord, who finished third and fourth respectively, as Holland's representatives in the UEFA Cup next season, Ajax and PSV Eindhoven will be in the Champions' League. Litex Lovech clinched the Bulgarian championship for the first time on Saturday, defeating Botev Plovdiv 3-0. The triumph came despite a two-point forfeit imposed by the Bulgarian Football Union because the club fielded a suspended player in two games, both draws. And in Israel, Betar Jerusalem retained their title and, like Lovech, qualified for the Champions' League preliminaries. A 1-0 home victory on Saturday against Maccabi Petah Tikva secured the championship.

top