Montpellier claimed their first ever French league title after winning 2-1 at Auxerre on Sunday in a chaotic match which saw the game twice delayed after crowd disturbances.
René Girard's men were made to sweat before securing the title as Olivier Kapo notched a 20th minute opener for the already relegated Auxerre.
John Utaka then equalised in the 32nd minute before the action was shortly suspended after a range of objects were thrown onto the pitch that reportedly included toilet paper, tomatoes and tennis balls.
Referee Saïd Ennjimi delayed the re-start by five minutes after halftime, and suspended the game again five minutes into the second half.
And the game was again delayed – this time for a lengthy amount of time – when flares were tossed onto the pitch by Auxerre fans later in the second half.
When play was finally able to get under way once again, Utaka scored again on 76 minutes to make sure the visitors would finish three points ahead of Paris St Germain, whose 2-1 win at Lorient was rendered academic.
"I think it's deserved," said Girard amid scenes of jubilation on the pitch following the final whistle.
"It was a huge fight right until the end. Looking at the number of points, you have to say that the three teams at the top (Montpellier, PSG and Lille) have had extraordinary seasons."
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| Montpellier players celebrate after winning the French Ligue 1 title Photo: Getty Images |
René Girard's men were made to sweat before securing the title as Olivier Kapo notched a 20th minute opener for the already relegated Auxerre.
John Utaka then equalised in the 32nd minute before the action was shortly suspended after a range of objects were thrown onto the pitch that reportedly included toilet paper, tomatoes and tennis balls.
Referee Saïd Ennjimi delayed the re-start by five minutes after halftime, and suspended the game again five minutes into the second half.
And the game was again delayed – this time for a lengthy amount of time – when flares were tossed onto the pitch by Auxerre fans later in the second half.
When play was finally able to get under way once again, Utaka scored again on 76 minutes to make sure the visitors would finish three points ahead of Paris St Germain, whose 2-1 win at Lorient was rendered academic.
"I think it's deserved," said Girard amid scenes of jubilation on the pitch following the final whistle.
"It was a huge fight right until the end. Looking at the number of points, you have to say that the three teams at the top (Montpellier, PSG and Lille) have had extraordinary seasons."
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