European football round-up: Paris Saint-Germain end 19-year wait for Ligue 1 title

In other news, Newcastle United avoid relegation and racism shows its face in the Serie A again.

Paris Saint-Germain players celebrate after winning the Ligue 1 title after 19 years. Guillaume Horcajuelo / EPA
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Paris Saint-Germain sealed their first Ligue 1 title since 1994 with a 1-0 win at Lyon on Sunday.

Marseille's 2-1 win over Toulouse on Saturday, their fourth success in a row, had ensured PSG would have to wait until after their own game.

But Jeremy Menez, the former AC Milan winger, scored the only goal of the game against a limp Lyon side and that proved enough to deliver the silverware.

"I am very happy, especially because it is not easy to win here," said PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti. "We showed that we deserved the title. It was a difficult season, but after December we became more solid and compact and things went well."

Ancelotti added that he has not discussed his future with the club's ambitious Qatari owners. "We have not had the time. There are still two games to play, we will respect our rivals and the championship."

"I have had a great deal of confidence in the title because the players have the best individual quality," he added.

Remi Garde, the Lyon manager, was gracious in defeat, particularly given his side can now no longer overtake Marseille in the race for second and direct access to the Uefa Champions League group stages.

"Congratulations to PSG, even though it's a bit difficult to watch them celebrating their title here," he said from Lyon's Stade Gerland.

"Paris have a lot of quality, even though we were a long way from our worst match for some time."

Racism delays Serie A game

AC Milan and Roma battled out a goalless draw on Sunday as both sides finished with 10 men while the game was delayed because of racist chanting.

The point kept Milan in third place and on course for a Champions League spot.

But red cards for Milan's Ghanaian Sulley Muntari and Francesco Totti, the Roma captain, as well as more racist controversy, over-shadowed action on the pitch.

Muntari was sent-off for manhandling the referee as the official reached into his pocket to book Mario Balotelli.

Play was then held up for three minutes early in the second half as Roma fans were warned to stop making racist chants, believed to be aimed at Balotelli.

Roma went down to 10 men in injury time when Totti shoved an elbow into the face of Philippe Mexes, the French central defender.

"Unfortunately the mentality is still retrogressive," said Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri when asked to respond to the racist chants. "We must all try to improve, because people go to the stadium to see a spectacle and not for this sort of thing."

Earlier on Sunday, Edinson Cavani scored what may have been his final goal in front of Napoli's fans in a 2-1 win over relegated Siena.

The Uruguayan international has been tipped to leave Napoli after a season in which his 28 league goals have secured a runner-up finish behind Juventus and guaranteed Walter Mazzarri's side Champions League football next season.

Newcastle still united, says Alan Pardew

Alan Pardew, the Newcastle United manager, has insisted his side's avoidance of relegation from the English Premier League is proof that claims of behind-the-scenes turmoil were unfounded.

The Magpies, who had been beaten 6-0 at home by Liverpool and 3-0 by north east rivals Sunderland in recent weeks, assured themselves of Premier League football next season following a 2-1 win at already-relegated Queens Park Rangers on Sunday.

An opportunist strike from Yoan Gouffran, who capitalised on poor defensive play from Rangers goalkeeper Robert Green and defender Jose Bosingwa, ended up being decisive after Hatem Ben Arfa's penalty had cancelled out an earlier Rangers spot-kick from Loic Remy.

Newcastle, who finished fifth last season, had been part of the relegation equation for much of the campaign however, prompting reports the British-based players in the squad did not see eye to eye with the sizeable French-speaking contingent that Pardew had brought to St James' Park.

Pardew, not for the first time, said that had never been the case. "We showed a great deal of resilience to get the job done and not just for this football club but for the north-east as well," he said.

"I'm delighted for our fans and for our players – who had accusations that were so ridiculous. You don't get a draw against West Brom and West Ham and a win here with rifts going on."

Primera Liga title win good start for Tito Vilanova

Tito Vilanova, the Barcelona manager, believes his first season in charge has been a success overall after Barca clinched their fourth Primera Liga in five seasons.

The Catalans did not even need to set foot on the pitch to seal the title on Saturday as Real Madrid's 1-1 draw with Espanyol meant Barca had already been crowned champions before their 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

And despite a 7-0 aggregate thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Vilanova insisted his side were somewhat unfortunate in Europe this season.

"It has been a good season. The shame has been that we couldn't compete better in the Champions League," he told a press conference on Sunday. "Next season it will be even more difficult because to be in the semi-finals seven years running is very complicated, but the evaluation of the season is good because in the league we have had a great season.

"In the Champions League we were not fortunate and the referees haven't helped us a lot."

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