[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header-nav":3,"footer-nav":29,"article-ligue-1-awards-2025-26-vitinha-pogba":82,"category-counts-nav":94,"related-ligue-1-awards-2025-26-vitinha-pogba":105},[4,8,11,14,17,20,23,26],{"label":5,"to":6,"exact":7},"Home","\u002F",true,{"label":9,"to":10},"World Cup","\u002Fworldcup",{"label":12,"to":13},"Standings","\u002Fstandings",{"label":15,"to":16},"Football","\u002Fcategory\u002Ffootball",{"label":18,"to":19},"Basketball","\u002Fcategory\u002Fbasketball",{"label":21,"to":22},"Tennis","\u002Fcategory\u002Ftennis",{"label":24,"to":25},"F1","\u002Fcategory\u002Ff1",{"label":27,"to":28},"Long Reads","\u002Fcategory\u002Flong-reads",{"brand":30,"columns":32,"tagline":80,"copyright":81},{"description":31},"In-depth sports journalism covering football, basketball, tennis, F1, and beyond. Daily analysis, long reads, and expert opinion.",[33,51,59],{"heading":34,"links":35},"Leagues",[36,39,42,45,48],{"label":37,"to":38},"Premier League","\u002Ftag\u002Fpremier-league",{"label":40,"to":41},"La Liga","\u002Ftag\u002Fla-liga",{"label":43,"to":44},"NBA","\u002Ftag\u002Fnba",{"label":46,"to":47},"Formula 1","\u002Ftag\u002Fformula-1",{"label":49,"to":50},"Champions League","\u002Ftag\u002Fchampions-league",{"heading":52,"links":53},"Content",[54,56,57],{"label":55,"to":16},"Analysis",{"label":27,"to":28},{"label":58,"to":16},"Data & Stats",{"heading":60,"links":61},"Company",[62,65,68,71,74,77],{"label":63,"to":64},"Terms of Service","\u002Fservice",{"label":66,"to":67},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy",{"label":69,"to":70},"Editorial Policy","\u002Feditorial",{"label":72,"to":73},"Contact Us","\u002Fcontact",{"label":75,"to":76},"About Us","\u002Fabout",{"label":78,"to":79},"Website Disclaimer","\u002Fdisclaimer","Built for the love of sport","© SportPulse. All rights reserved.",{"title":83,"slug":84,"category":15,"badge":55,"author":85,"excerpt":86,"date":87,"readTime":88,"image":89,"imageAlt":83,"tags":90,"body":92,"_path":93},"Vitinha, Sage Shine as Pogba's Ligue 1 Return Goes Sour","ligue-1-awards-2025-26-vitinha-pogba","Lucas Moreau","PSG's metronome, Lyon's tactician, and Thauvin's revival defined the 2025-26 Ligue 1 season, while Pogba and Nice flopped.","2026-06-10","3 min read","https:\u002F\u002Fi.guim.co.uk\u002Fimg\u002Fmedia\u002F39086349be5690684687a3481f7ed2d1e9c7312b\u002F0_0_5000_4000\u002Fmaster\u002F5000.png?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=1fafae75b15fec6ee084f1c4ffdbaa4a",[91],"Ligue 1","## The Midfield Metronome\n\nEverything at Paris Saint-Germain flowed through **Vitinha** in 2025-26. The 26-year-old Portuguese international became the side's central nervous system, dictating rhythm and dismantling opposition presses with effortless grace.\n\n> \"I like feeling the match go through me,\" Vitinha said in December. The quote hung over the rest of the season like a manifesto.\n\n### The Numbers Behind the Influence\n\n- Completed the most **progressive passes** in Ligue 1 for the second straight year\n- Ranked in the **99th percentile** for touches among midfielders across Europe's top five leagues\n- Only two PSG defeats all season when Vitinha started\n\nHis understanding of space turned an already dominant side into a relentless winning machine. For all the firepower up front, the engine room was the real story.\n\n## The Mastermind on the Touchline\n\n**Pierre Sage** did not just manage Olympique Lyonnais—he rebuilt them. After a turbulent start to the decade, Sage's tactical clarity pulled Lyon back into the Champions League conversation.\n\n### Lyon's Revival Blueprint\n\n- Implemented a **high-pressing 4-3-3** that suffocated mid-table sides\n- Integrated academy graduates **Rayan Cherki** and **Mohamed El Arouch** into the first team seamlessly\n- Finished with the **second-best defensive record** in the division\n\nSage's ability to maximize limited resources earned him the manager of the season nod. His Lyon side was not just effective—they were unmistakably his.\n\n## The Comeback Kid\n\nFew predicted **Florian Thauvin** would become appointment viewing again. Back in France after a spell abroad, the 33-year-old winger defied age and doubters with a campaign dripping in end product.\n\nHe brought **swagger and ruthlessness** to a team that had lacked both. Thauvin's movement off the ball and lethal left foot generated headlines every weekend.\n\n- Delivered **double-digit goals and assists** for the first time since 2018\n- Scored in **four consecutive matches** during the title run-in\n- Became the club's **leading chance creator** from open play\n\nHis resurgence was a reminder that class is permanent—and that Ligue 1 still holds room for romantic storylines.\n\n## The Flip Side: High-Profile Flops\n\n### Pogba's Annus Horribilis\n\n**Paul Pogba** arrived with a point to prove and left with his reputation in tatters. The former Juventus man never looked comfortable in a system that demanded defensive discipline he could not provide.\n\nA series of niggling injuries and a lack of sharpness saw him reduced to a bit-part role by spring. His minutes were scarce, his impact negligible. The high-wattage signing became a cautionary tale.\n\n> \"It's been a long road back, but I'm not done yet,\" Pogba insisted in February. The league quietly moved on without him.\n\n### Nice's Nightmare\n\n**OGC Nice** had targeted a top-four finish. Instead, they spent the second half of the season looking over their shoulder. Defensive disorganization and a toothless attack sunk them into mid-table mediocrity.\n\n- Finished **10th**, their lowest placing in five years\n- Scored just **38 goals** in 34 outings—the fourth-worst offense in the division\n- Managerial change in March did nothing to halt the slide\n\nThe Côte d'Azur faithful deserved better. A summer of soul-searching awaits.\n\n## The Bigger Picture\n\nThe 2025-26 Ligue 1 season was defined by contrasts—surging tacticians and fading icons, breakout stars and crumbling institutions. Vitinha's brilliance and Sage's mastery will be remembered long after the final whistle, but the shadows cast by Pogba and Nice linger just as deeply.","\u002Farticles\u002Fligue-1-awards-2025-26-vitinha-pogba",[95,96,97,98,99,100,101,102,103,104],"analysis","basketball","cricket","f1","football","general","golf","mma","long-reads","tennis",[106,120,129],{"id":107,"stem":107,"path":108,"title":109,"category":15,"badge":110,"badgeType":111,"author":112,"authorRole":113,"authorInitials":114,"date":115,"readTime":116,"image":117,"imageAlt":109,"tags":118,"excerpt":119},"tuchel-under-11-world-cup-questions","\u002Farticles\u002Ftuchel-under-11-world-cup-questions","Tuchel Grilled by England's Under-11 Squad","Feature","category","Sophie Bennett","SportPulse Contributor","SB","2026-06-09","2 min read","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.unsplash.com\u002Fphoto-1574629810360-7efbbe195018?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1920&q=80","World Cup, International Football","England boss Thomas Tuchel fields questions from a squad of under-11 players before heading to the World Cup.",{"id":121,"stem":121,"path":122,"title":123,"category":15,"badge":110,"badgeType":111,"author":124,"authorRole":113,"authorInitials":125,"date":126,"readTime":116,"image":127,"imageAlt":123,"excerpt":128},"guardian-next-generation-2025-premier-league","\u002Farticles\u002Fguardian-next-generation-2025-premier-league","Guardian's 2025 Next Gen: 20 PL Wonderkids Named","SportPulse Staff","SS","2026-06-03","https:\u002F\u002Fi.guim.co.uk\u002Fimg\u002Fmedia\u002Fcb6c5259a96a012406c2225b08a63df21a80ab97\u002F0_0_1499_1199\u002Fmaster\u002F1499.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=41d1ce5d214466d179c7ee9623fa059c","The Guardian’s annual list highlights 20 first-year scholars across the Premier League, each born between September 2008 and August 2009.",{"id":130,"stem":130,"path":131,"title":132,"category":15,"badge":110,"badgeType":111,"author":133,"authorRole":113,"authorInitials":134,"date":135,"readTime":136,"image":137,"imageAlt":132,"tags":9,"excerpt":138},"bbc-sport-launches-world-cup-predictor-game","\u002Farticles\u002Fbbc-sport-launches-world-cup-predictor-game","BBC Sport Drops New World Cup Predictor Game","Marcus Delvecchio","MD","2026-06-18","1 min read","https:\u002F\u002Fichef.bbci.co.uk\u002Face\u002Fstandard\u002F976\u002Fcpsprodpb\u002F1890\u002Flive\u002Fdaffe870-5f51-11f1-89a3-d1f559421220.jpg","BBC Sport launches its World Cup predictor game, offering fans the chance to win signed football merchandise."]