The season saw an exciting title race between Marseille, Lyon, Auxerre, Lille and Montpellier, with the lead changing hands multiple times throughout the season. In the end, Marseille came out on top to win the Ligue 1 title. The three teams that got relegated were Boulogne, Grenoble and Le Mans. Meanwhile, Giroud was making his name at Tours in the Ligue 2, bagging 21 goals and the golden boot.
Overall, the 2009/10 Ligue 1 season was a highly competitive and exciting campaign, with multiple teams vying for the title until the very end.
This was an extremely difficult list to compile. So difficult, I decided to change the Top 10 into the Top 13, the whole list containing rookie stickers!
Lets get into the top 13!
The Panini FOOT 2009-2010 Complete Album
12 – Sébastien Corchia Rookie Sticker – #115
Sébastien Corchia plays as a right-back. Known for his versatility and technical ability, Corchia was an adept dribbler and passer, as well as an efficient defender on the flank.
In the 2009/10 season, Corchia played for Le Mans FC in Ligue 1. He quickly established himself as a key player for the club, starting in 35 out of 38 league matches. Corchia’s performances earned him recognition as one of the best right-backs in the league. At the peak of his powers he managed 1 cap in a strong French national team.
Corchia’s impressive performances caught the attention of several top clubs, and he eventually moved to Sochaux in 2011. He went on to have successful spells with Lille and Sevilla. Corchia has since joined Nantes, where he is now mostly deployed off the bench.
11 – Ryad Boudebouz Rookie Sticker – #458
Ryad Boudebouz is an Algerian attacking midfielder known for his excellent dribbling skills, vision, and cultured left foot. He is able to play in various attacking positions, including as a winger or an attacking midfielder. Boudebouz is known for his ability to create chances for his teammates with his precise passes and accurate crosses. He is also a threat from set-pieces due to his excellent free-kick taking ability.
In the 2009/10 season, Boudebouz was a standout performer for Sochaux, where he scored 3 goals in 33 appearances, helping them avoid relegation.
After leaving Sochaux, Ryad Boudebouz played for a number of other clubs, including Bastia, Montpellier, Real Betis, and Saint-Étienne. He had varying levels of success at these clubs, but was generally regarded as a skilled and creative attacking midfielder with an eye for goal.
10 – Youssef El-Arabi Rookie Sticker – #562 (Bottom Right)
Youssef El-Arabi is a Moroccan footballer who plays as a striker. He is known for his clinical finishing ability, impressive physicality, and great heading skills. El-Arabi started his professional career in France, playing for Caen in the 2009/10 season. He had an excellent season, scoring 11 goals in 34 appearances, helping the club to the Ligue 2 championship title.
El-Arabi’s ability to hold the ball up, link up play and bring his teammates into the game make him a complete striker. He is also a great finisher with both feet, and he is particularly dangerous in the air. His physicality and tenacity make him difficult to dispossess and allow him to create opportunities out of nothing.
After his successful stint with Caen, El-Arabi played for a number of other clubs including: Al-Hilal, Granada, Al-Duhail and Olympiacos, where he currently plays. At all clubs he has played he established himself as a prolific goalscorer. He also managed 16 goals in 40 caps for Morocco.
9 – Tino Costa Rookie Sticker – #300
Tino Costa is an Argentine midfielder known for his powerful shooting ability and precise passing skills. He is a versatile player who can play as a deep-lying playmaker or a box-to-box midfielder. Costa is also known for his tenacity and physicality in the midfield, often breaking up opposition attacks with his strong tackling abilities.
During the 2009/10 season, Costa played for Montpellier in Ligue 1, where he established himself as a key player in midfield. He made 31 league appearances that season, scoring 7 goals. Costa’s performances helped Montpellier secure a 5th place finish in the league and qualify for the Europa League.
After his successful stint at Montpellier, Costa went on to play for Valencia in La Liga, where he continued to showcase his skills as a midfield enforcer. He then moved on to play for Spartak Moscow in the Russian Premier League. Since Spartak, his career started to wind down, playing bit part roles at various clubs. He currently plays back home in Argentina at Club Atlético San Martín. At the peak of his powers, Costa was a force to be reckoned with.
8 – Laurent Koscielny Rookie Sticker – #192
Laurent Koscielny is a former French professional footballer who played as a center-back. Koscielny was known for his physicality, speed, and reading of the game. He was a reliable defender who was strong in the air and also possessed a good turn of pace to keep up with opposition attackers.
During the 2009/10 season with Lorient, Koscielny established himself as one of the best defenders in Ligue 1, helping his team finish in an uncharacteristically high 7th position. He played in 35 league games and scored 3 goals. His performances earned him a move to top-flight club Arsenal, where he became a key player for nine seasons, becoming their captain in the process.
He also earned international recognition with the French national team, representing them at major tournaments such as the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016. Unfortunately he missed the 2018 World Cup due to injury, where France would go onto become world champions.
Koscielny ended his career on the 2021/22 season, after 3 seasons with Bordeaux.
7 – Moussa Sow Rookie Sticker – #415
Moussa Sow is known for his prolific scoring abilities throughout his career. During the 2009/10 season with Rennes, he only managed 3 goals. His breakout year was with Lille, we he bagged 25 league goals! He was the top scorer in Ligue 1 that season, helping Lille to the Ligue 1 titile!
Following Lille, Sow moved to Fenerbahce. He became a fan favorite during his time at Fenerbahce due to his impressive goal-scoring record and his ability to score important goals in crucial moments. He joined the club in 2012 and helped Fener to the 2013/14 Süper Lig title.
Sow’s ability to find the back of the net is due to his excellent positioning, quick reflexes, and powerful shot. He is also known for his physicality and ability to win aerial duels, which makes him a threat on set pieces.
Sow also managed 16 goals for his native Senegal in 44 caps.
6 – Younès Belhanda Rookie Sticker – #299
Younès Belhanda is a Moroccan professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger. He is known for his creative play style, impressive dribbling skills, and ability to score goals from both inside and outside the box.
In the 2009/10 season, Belhanda played for Montpellier and helped them earn a fifth spot in the Ligue 1. He quickly established himself as a key player in the Montpellier squad, showcasing his technical ability and scoring important goals. During the 2011/12 season, he played a major role in Montpellier’s Ligue 1 title win, with 12 goals and providing numerous assists.
Belhanda’s playing style is characterized by his close control of the ball and his ability to create chances for himself and his teammates. He is known for his agility, quick feet, and his capacity to execute tricky moves and tricks on the field. He has a powerful shot and is adept at taking free-kicks and penalties. Over the course of his career, he has played for a number of high-profile clubs in France and abroad, including Dynamo Kyiv, Schalke 04, and Galatasaray. He currently plays for Turkish side, Adana Demirspor.
5 – Yacine Brahimi Rookie Sticker – #576 (Bottom Right)
Yacine Brahimi is an Algerian professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or winger known for his playmaking skills and incredible dribbling ability. Brahimi began his professional career with French club Rennes in 2008, but it was during his loan spell at Clermont Foot during the 2009/10 season that he caught the attention of football fans and experts alike, scoring 8 goals.
Brahimi’s play style is characterized by his quick feet, close control, and ability to dribble past defenders with ease. He is also known for his vision and ability to pick out teammates with accurate passes.
Yacine Brahimi played for FC Porto from 2014 to 2019, where he quickly became a fan favorite due to his impressive performances on the pitch. During his time at the club, he helped Porto win the Primeira Liga title in 2017-18. Brahimi’s skillful dribbling and creative attacking play made him a crucial player for Porto, and he was often praised for his ability to take on multiple defenders at once.
Currently, Brahimi plays Al-Gharafa in the Qatari league.
4 – Wahbi Khazri Rookie Sticker – #548 (Top Left)
Wahbi Khazri is a Tunisian professional football player who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger. He is known for his technical abilities, excellent ball control, and his eye for goal. Khazri is also known for his set-piece prowess, and he is deadly from free-kicks and corners.
During the 2009/10 season, Khazri played for Bastia in Ligue 2, picking up 33 appearances. It was a disappointing season for Bastia as they finished bottom of the table. After his time at Bastia, Khazri went on to play for a number of other clubs, including Bordeaux, Sunderland, and Saint-Etienne. He has also been a key player for the Tunisian national team, scoring several crucial goals in their quest to qualify for major international tournaments.
Khazri is immensely popular in Tunisia, where he is widely regarded as one of the country’s greatest ever players. His performances for the national team have earned him hero status, and he is considered to be a symbol of hope and pride for many Tunisian football fans. In the 2022 World Cup he scored a memorable solo goal vs France.
3 – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Rookie Sticker – #176
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a Gabonese professional footballer who is widely recognised for his incredible speed and goal-scoring ability. He is known for his poaching style of play, which is characterised by his ability to make smart runs behind the defensive line and to finish clinically in front of the goal. This intelligence for runs coupled with his unmatched electric pace made him deadly in front of goal.
Over the years, Aubameyang has established himself as one of the most popular and sought-after players in world football. He has played for top clubs such as Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona and Arsenal, where he has consistently delivered excellent performances and scored numerous goals.
During the 2009/10 season, Aubameyang played on loan for Lille in the French Ligue 1. He was young at the time but showed flashes of brilliance, scoring 2 goals in 14 league appearances. It would be his time at Saint-Etienne that Aubameyang would make his name and eventually be signed by Borussia Dortmund.
Currently he is playing in a poor Chelsea side, but that doesn’t take away from his incredible career!
2 – Olivier Giroud Rookie Sticker – #653 (Top Left)
Olivier Giroud is a French striker known for his excellent aerial ability, hold-up play, and intelligent movement in and around the box. Despite being underrated by many, he has had an impressive career playing for some of Europe’s top clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea, and AC Milan.
During his time at Tours in the 2009/10 season, Giroud scored an impressive 21 goals in 38 appearances, making the Ligue 2 team of the season and winning the golden boot. His performances attracted the attention of bigger clubs, leading him to join Montpellier the following season.
Giroud continued to impress at Montpellier, leading them to their first-ever Ligue 1 title in the 2011/12 season. He finished as the league’s top scorer with 21 goals, and was subsequently signed by Arsenal. At Arsenal, he scored over 100 goals in just over 250 appearances, becoming one of the club’s top scorers in the Premier League era.
Despite facing criticism from some quarters, Giroud has consistently performed at the highest level for club and country. He was a key part of the French national team that won the 2018 World Cup, and continues to be an important figure for them.
He is still performing at the top level for AC Milan in the 22/23 season, having won the Serie A title the year before!
1 – Eden Hazard Rookie Sticker – #173
Eden Hazard is the best rookie sticker in Panini FOOT 2009-2010.
Eden Hazard is known for his dribbling skills, playmaking abilities and goalscoring prowess. Hazard is known for his pace and trickery on the ball, making him a difficult player to defend against. He is also a versatile player who can play in multiple positions such as winger, attacking midfielder and forward.
Hazard’s rise to fame started during his time at Lille, where he had an outstanding 2009/10 season. In that season, he scored five goals and provided 8 assists, helping Lille to a fourth place finish. Eden Hazard played a key role in Lille’s title-winning season in the 2010-2011 Ligue 1 season. He scored seven goals and provided 9 assists, and the following season he scored 20 league goals.
After his impressive performances at Lille, Hazard joined Chelsea in 2012, where he quickly established himself as one of the best players in the world. During his time at Chelsea, Hazard won two Premier League titles, while also being named Chelsea’s Player of the Year four times.
Hazard’s playmaking skills and ability to score crucial goals made him a fan favourite at Chelsea, with many considering him to be one of the best players in the club’s history. In 2019, Hazard moved to Real Madrid, where he has continued to showcase his talent, although injuries have severely limited his playing time.
Summary
I hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. 13 rookie stickers of note in the one set!
Let me know what you guys think.
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