Monaco have secured Ligue 1 survival despite failing to get the point they needed to guarantee safety on the final day, instead ending a dreadful season with a 2-0 defeat in Nice.
Leonardo Jardim’s men knew only an improbable set of results – defeat at Nice, victory for Caen and an eight-goal swing – could send them into a relegation play-off after last week’s vital home win over fellow strugglers Amiens.
Jardim had urged his side to keep their fate in their own hands, and Cesc Fàbregas hit the crossbar after 12 minutes – but Benoît Badiashile’s own goal left them relying on Bordeaux to put in a performance against Caen.
Mickaël Le Bihan doubled Nice’s lead after 67 minutes from the penalty spot, but Younousse Sankharé’s opener for Bordeaux proved enough to save last season’s runners-up and relegate Caen outright, along with Guingamp.
Dijon climbed above the Normandy side into 18th place after coming from behind to beat Toulouse, and will now face Ligue 2 side Lens in a two-legged promotion play-off.
Elsewhere, Paris Saint-Germain ended their title-winning campaign with a whimper, going down to a 3-1 defeat at mid-table Reims.
With the title long since won, but speculation rife over Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, Thomas Tuchel was aiming to end the season on a high. The German coach put out a strong side, but was left to rue his decision to pick Gianluigi Buffon in goal.
The champions went behind after a Reims counterattack in the 36th minute, with Baba Rahman’s angled shot going through Buffon’s legs. Mathieu Cafaro doubled the hosts’ lead in the second half with a shot from the edge of the area that caught the veteran goalkeeper off guard.
Kylian Mbappé reduced the arrears three minutes later from close range – his 33rd league goal of the season – but PSG could not find an equaliser and Pablo Chavarría added a third for Reims in stoppage time.
Third-placed Lyon grabbed victory at Nîmes thanks to two late goals from Maxwel Cornet and Tanguy Ndombele, while runners-up Lille lost 3-1 at Rennes.