Marseille and Saint Etienne are the only sides to have achieved the feat with UEFA Cup finalists Marseille set to be one of Lyon's biggest rivals during the 2004-2005 campaign.

The champions launch their title defence at Nice in the only match scheduled for Friday.

Whether coach Paul Le Guen's team can maintain the momentum remains to be seen with financial difficulties forcing them to part with key players like Vikash Dhorasoo, Peguy Luyindula, Eric Carriere and Edmilson.

But Le Guen has managed to hang on to playmaker Juninho and striker Giovane Elber, and despite the exodus goalkeeper Gregory Coupet is confident for the new season after their recent 'Trophee des Champions' success over French Cup winners Paris Saint Germain.

"There will always be the same team spirit," said Coupet.

"It's a challenge to try and win this first match of the season. If not to take at least a point. But the PSG match has given us confidence."

Marseille, who will not be competing in Europe this season, can concentrate all their efforts on winning their first title since their four-in-row effort between 1988 and 1992.

Boosted by 37.5 million euros from the transfer of Didier Drogba to Chelsea, Marseille treated themselves to a host of internationals including Frederic Dehu, Bixente Lizarazu, Benoit Pedretti, Bruno Cheyrou, Luyindula and the Brazilian Eduardo Costa.

Coach Jose Anigo wants to get down to business straight away and benefit from the fact that they will host three games on front of their merciless fans at the Velodrome stadium in August starting with Bordeaux on Saturday.

New boy Luyindula is predicting great things for his new team.

"I think that Marseille's team will be better than that of Lyon this new season," said Luyindula.

"Lyon might have qualified for the Champions League but the biggest difficulty is yet to come for them."

League runners-up PSG have only one aim - to do better than last season - and kick off their campaign at Brittany side Rennes on Saturday.

The departures of Frederic Dehu, Gabriel Heinze and Juan Palo Sorin were offbalanced by the arrival of Sylvain Armand, Mario Yepes and Jean-Hugues Ateba with midfielder Jerome Rothen tipped to be the star at Parc des Princes this season, along with Portuguese international striker Pauleta, looking for a confidence-booster after his European championship disappointed.

"The club's ambitions are big this year and I'll be right in there," warned Yepes. "We're getting better and better on the pitch and we're heading in the right direction."

Unlike Marseille both PSG and Monaco will have to juggle their European campaigns with a heavy calendar at home.

Champions League finalists Monaco have seen the departure of Ludovic Giuly, Jerome Rothen, Dado Prso and Fernando Morientes, with coach Didier Deschamps threatening to quit unless new faces were brought in.

The club acquired a new president in wealthy businessman Michel Pastor, and Deschamps stayed put.

The result has been the arrival of strikers Ernesto Javier Chevanton and Mohamed Kallon, along with young Brazilian defender Maicon, fresh from Brazil's Copa America victory.

Deschamps is also on the look out for inspiration up front, with Manchester City striker Nicolas Anelka reportedly being lined up as a transfer target if they fail to sign Barcelona star Javier Saviola.

The Principality side will face their first challenge at promoted Saint Etienne, who are targetting a return to the glory days of the 1960s and 1970s with their last of ten titles back in 1981.

Travelling to Lille are Guy Roux's Auxerre, the 1996 champions, who are out to rebuild after the departure of a generation of gifted players including Jean-Alain Boumsong, Philippe Mexes, Olivier Kapo and Djibril Cisse.

Lens, who have also been recruiting new blood, are also in the running for a place at the top of the table, playing their first match against Toulouse who narrowly missed the drop last season.

Along with newcomers Caen and Istres, Saint Etienne, the holders of the most titles in French league history, will need to get off to a strong start to secure their place in the first division.

Meanwhile nervous coaches will now have to resort to chewing gum on the line as of Friday after the French Professional Football League (LFP) banned smoking on the bench in line with European Football Union (UEFA) regulations.