Montpellier's 16-Year Top Flight Journey Ends in Heartbreak

Montpellier has been relegated to Ligue 2 after 16 seasons in France's top football division. Their fate was determined when Monaco drew with Le Havre, leaving Montpellier unable to recover the point deficit. A late-season coaching change to Zoumana Camara was insufficient to avoid relegation.

Montpellier's long-standing presence in Ligue 1 has come to an end following their relegation to Ligue 2 after 16 seasons. The drop was confirmed on Saturday after a 1-1 draw between Monaco and Le Havre, leaving Montpellier stuck at the bottom of the table with 15 points.

Despite the mathematical possibility, a maximum of 12 points from their remaining games wasn't enough to avoid relegation, trailing the playoff spot held by Le Havre by 13 points. The club expressed gratitude to steadfast fans for their support during the challenging season.

A coaching shift to Zoumana Camara failed to generate a late-season revival. Camara, stepping into his first head coaching role after serving as assistant at Paris St Germain, could not reverse their fortunes, suffering defeats in both of his matches in charge.

(With inputs from agencies.)