Lyon wrapped up their seventh straight French championship on Saturday with a 3-1 win at Auxerre while Paris St Germain saved their top flight status by winning 2-1 at Sochaux to relegate Lens.
Bordeaux placed second, four points adrift, after they could only draw 2-2 at Lens, sending their opponents down, along with Metz and Strasbourg, a decade after winning the title.
Also smiling along with PSG, who were reprieved at the last after appearing destined for the drop for much of the campaign, were Marseille, France's only side ever to lift the European Cup.
They bagged third place and with it a third qualifying round spot in the Champions League after edging Strasbourg 4-3. "My heart was beating at 200km/h," said Marseille coach Eric Gerets after his team came back from a goal down to beat Strasbourg.
"To finish third is a mini-miracle. I have great pride in the players and the supporters who are the best, by a long way, in France." With Laurent Blanc's Bordeaux breathing down their necks two points adrift at start of play Lyon had to compose themselves for the final push to glory.
And they enjoyed the perfect start, France international striker Karim Benzema firing them into the lead after just 23 seconds, the first of what would prove a blizzard of goals across the league, 43 in all in ten games. From the kick-off, Benzema bore down on the Auxerre goal, played a one-two with Brazilian team-mate Fred and planted the return into the net with the inside of his left boot for his 20th goal of the campaign.
Nine minutes later Fred made it 2-0 on the half volley after a neat interchange between Benzema and Kader Keita. A Kim Kallstrom header eight minutes after the restart, prior to a Frederic Thomas consolation, wrapped things up for Alain Perrin's side whose golden shirts ultimately proved appropriate.
Bordeaux meanwhile had to keep on believing in a miracle at the Stade Bollaert, home to Lens, but it didn't materialise. The 2-2 draw spelled relegation for the northern club, one of the best-supported in the country and stewarded by former Marseille hero Jean-Pierre Papin and Daniel Leclercq, architect of their 1998 success.
"This really hurts, especially as we put in one of our best showings against Bordeaux," said a tearful Eric Carriere, a champion three times with Lyon and once with Nantes, as frustrated fans began to pelt the pitch with objects.
Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc, whose side were twice pegged back by Lens, believes his team can enjoy a bright future.
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