When my trip to Annecy was confirmed, I was hoping to catch a game of FC Annecy who are currently playing in Ligue 2 for just the second time in their history. Annoyingly though, the schedule of Ligue 2 has been a mess this season, with matches taking place on Fridays and Tuesdays as a result of a new TV rights deal that has been heavily criticised by fans.

Luckily, the smaller club of the city was playing at home that weekend and ended up being a more than decent alternative. Annecy-le-Vieux is a club based in the residential suburb of Annecy-le-Vieux and their home ground is just around the corner from the city’s famous lake. They’re playing in the second division of the regional league (7th level).

This Sunday found them playing against the nearby village of Chambotte in their training ground, which is just next to the main field, due to some maintenance on the grass of the latter. The atmosphere at the ground was very relaxed and the views of the mountains were just brilliant. There is also a very friendly bar on-site serving alcohol and food.

As for the game, both sides took chances and although Annecy seemed very determined, Chambotte was just more efficient and managed to take advantage of every mistake the home team made, scoring three goals by the final whistle.