Benzema lands Ligue 1 award
Lyon striker picks up prestigious honour
By Patrick Haond Last updated: 12th May 2008
Benzema: Best in France
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Karim Benzema has been named as the best player in Ligue 1 by his fellow professionals.
The Lyon striker has enjoyed a remarkable season, scoring 19 goals in 33 league appearances, and helped his club into the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League.
His eye-catching displays have attracted interest from a host of Europe's top clubs, but the French international is adamant that he wants to achieve further success at Stade Gerland.
Competitive
"I am happy, I have enjoyed a great season," Benzema told L'Equipe.
"I will remain at Lyon next season and we will build a competitive team to challenge in the Champions League.
"It was disappointing to be eliminated (by Manchester United) before the quarter-final this season.
"But we will do everything possible to reach the required level and become one of Europe's biggest teams."
Benzema's team-mate at Lyon, and potential transfer target for Arsenal, Hatem Ben Arfa took the young player of the year award.
Meanwhile, having kept Bordeaux in the hunt for the title heading into the final weekend of the season, Laurent Blanc was handed the manager gong.
| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Saturday 18th October | |
| French Ligue 1 | |
| 18:00 | Bordeaux vs Toulouse |
| 18:00 | Caen vs Grenoble |
| 18:00 | Monaco vs Nice |
| 18:00 | Nantes vs St Etienne |
| 18:00 | PSG vs Lorient |
| 18:00 | Sochaux vs Le Havre |
| 20:00 | Lyon vs Lille |
| Saturday 25th October | |
| French Ligue 1 | |
| 19:00 | AS Nancy vs Sochaux |
| 19:00 | Auxerre vs Lyon |
| 19:00 | Le Havre vs Valenciennes |
| 19:00 | Lille vs Caen |
| 19:00 | Lorient vs Nantes |
| 19:00 | Nice vs Bordeaux |
| 19:00 | Rennes vs Le Mans |
| 19:00 | St Etienne vs Grenoble |
| 19:00 | Toulouse vs Monaco |
| Wednesday 29th October | |
| French Ligue 1 | |
| 19:00 | Bordeaux vs Le Havre |
| 19:00 | Caen vs Nice |
| 19:00 | Grenoble vs Lille |
| 19:00 | Le Mans vs Auxerre |
| Time | Result |
|---|---|
| Sunday 5th October | |
| French Ligue 1 | |
| Rennes 3 - 0 Lyon | |
| St Etienne 2 - 0 Monaco | |
| AS Nancy 1 - 1 PSG | |
| Saturday 4th October | |
| French Ligue 1 | |
| Grenoble 0 - 1 Nantes | |
| Le Havre 1 - 2 Le Mans | |
| Lorient 1 - 2 Bordeaux | |
| Marseille 2 - 1 Caen | |
| Lille 1 - 0 Valenciennes | |
| Toulouse 1 - 0 Auxerre | |
| Nice 1 - 1 Sochaux | |
| Sunday 28th September | |
| French Ligue 1 | |
| Valenciennes 0 - 1 Toulouse | |
| Monaco 0 - 2 Lille | |
| Bordeaux 1 - 1 St Etienne | |
| Saturday 27th September | |
| French Ligue 1 | |
| Auxerre 3 - 0 Le Havre | |
| Caen 3 - 0 Nantes | |
| Le Mans 1 - 1 Marseille | |
| Sochaux 1 - 1 Lorient | |
| PSG 0 - 1 Grenoble | |
| Rennes 1 - 0 Nice | |
| Lyon 2 - 1 AS Nancy | |
Top 6
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lyon | 8 | 19 |
| 2 | Toulouse | 8 | 17 |
| 3 | Marseille | 8 | 16 |
| 4 | Le Mans | 8 | 14 |
| 5 | Bordeaux | 8 | 14 |
| 6 | Lille | 8 | 14 |
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