The Best of Ligue 2 BKT in 2025-2026: Our End-of-Season Awards
Ligue 2 BKT has once again provided a highly competitive season full of drama and surprises. ESTAC Troyes returned to Ligue 1 McDonald's for the first time in three years, whilst Le Mans raced to a stunning double promotion to the top tier. Saint-Étienne will still have to find out their fate in a two-legged play-off test against OGC Nice.
Ligue1.com editor George Boxall has been following Ligue 2 for the past season, and there are plenty of unexpected heroes and stunning moments which defined another 9 months in one of the most exciting second divisions in European football.
Here are his picks for the Ligue 2 awards from the 2025-2026 campaign:
Player of the Season: Zuriko Davitashvili (Saint-Étienne)
The Georgian international was expected to be one of the players to thrive in Ligue 2 BKT following Saint-Étienne’s relegation last summer, and he has done so with style and panache this season. With 14 goals and five assists for Sainté this season, Davitashvili has often dragged his side to success when they needed him most. It will potentially finish in promotion if ASSE can beat Nice in promotion/relegation play-off this week.
Goal of the Season: Dame Gueye (Le Mans) vs Grenoble
It was voted as the UNFP goal of the season, and it’s not hard to see why. Against Grenoble, Dame Gueye managed to pull off a lob with the outside of his foot, around 30 metres from goal, to beat the Grenoblois goalkeeper in style.
Young Player of the Season: Giovani Versini (Pau)
The 21 year-old is garnering a lot of attention following a successful season with Pau. An academy product of Marseille, the youngster broke through in the third division with Chateauroux before performing for Les Palois this season. With an exciting attacking profile compared to that of Mathieu Valbuena, he has scored nine goals and provided four assists over 29 matches this season.
Match of the Season: Red Star 4-3 Bastia
If it wasn’t for Patrick Videria’s huge achievement of a double promotion with Le Mans, Red Star manager Grégory Poirier would have easily sealed the coach of the season award in my eyes after the Paris suburb club surged at the top of the table against all expectations.
One of the most entertaining games at Stade Bauer this season saw Bastia come fighting for their lives. The away side took a shock lead, before Damien Durand levelled from range. Bastia would go back in front, and an own goal from Pierre Lemmonier saw the Corsican side go 3-1 up.
But then stepped up Damien Durand, who completed his stunning hat trick in the second half to level Red Star at 3-3. Then was the moment of fate as Hacène Benali put Les Audoniens ahead in injury time to seal a hugely important three points in the race for the play-offs and one of the most memorable performances in recent memory for Red Star.
Forward: Tawifik Bentayeb (Troyes)
The Moroccan forward has emerged as top scorer in Ligue 2 BKT this season with 18 goals in 28 matches and earned a call-up to the Atlas Lions’ World Cup squad.
Defender: Adrien Monfray (Troyes)
Troyes have finally earned promotion back to Ligue 1 and their defensive record was the second best in the division, aided by an imperious Monfray in ESTAC’s backline.
Midfielder: Enzo Bardeli (Dunkerque)
Bardeli’s growth with Dunkerque has been consistent, and he reached another level this season as a silky number 10 that can play between the lines, deeper, or an advanced passer. The Frenchman looks like he could be ready for the next level, with a lot of interest already appearing at the end of this season.
Goalkeeper: Quentin Braat (Rodez)
Rodez’s return to the play-offs and their run against Red Star and Saint-Étienne was another case of the Aveyron side upsetting the odds under manager Didier Santini. But Braat has been the cornerstone of that success, elected UNFP’s goalkeeper of the season in the division. His performance in the penalty shootout against Saint-Étienne made for a memorable play-off, even if the RAF fell short at the final hurdle.
Coach: Patrick Videira (Le Mans)
Le Mans only returned to Ligue 2 for the 2025-2026 season, with new investment and a momentum that carried them through the season and all the way to a dramatic double promotion to Ligue 1. Patrick Videira was key to that achievement. He’s a humble yet highly-motivated coach that cut his teeth in the lower tiers in the Provence region, and has led Le Mans to Ligue 1 for the first time since the 2009/2010 campaign.
Team of the Season:
(3-4-3) Quentin Braat (Rodez) - Alec Georgen (Dunkerque), Donatien Gomis (Guingamp), Adrien Monfray (Troyes) - Antoine Mille (Troyes), Enzo Bardeli (Dunkerque), Giovanni Haag (Red Star), Edwin Quarshie (Le Mans), Lucas Buades (Le Mans) - Zuriko Davitashvili (ASSE), Tawifik Bentayeb (Troyes), Damien Durand (Red Star).
READ MORE:
>> Lens make history with first Coupe de France triumph after defeating Nice
>>Ligue 2: Five Players Who Could Make the Leap to Ligue 1 in 2026
>>From the wilderness back to Ligue 1: Le Mans FC’s long road home
