This is something i don't understand with all the Ligue 1 hatred.
When you read about people online, you would think it is the worst league ever. You don't see such comment about Portuguese League when they talk about their wonderkids or Eredivisie when they talk about Ajax gems. Ligue 1 is for some reason ranked number 5 while Portugal is 6 or 7th and Dutch league is 11th.
Over the last few years, i think Ligue 1 clubs have beaten PL sides more than the opposite.
As you stated Monaco did beat PSG two years ago for the title. Meanwhile, Juventus won 7 in a row, Bayern won 8 in a row. There are even people here saying Scottish league is more competitive when Celtic wins everything there, that PSG showed they were some level better than Celtic and that the failed PSG prospects are sent there to get a career (with success for Celtic and those players).
And they ignore PL clubs literally adores their crappy Ligue 1 players and buy a ton of them each and every year. Among the saviors of the European winners this year, there are again some crappy Ligue 1 players : Origi, instrumental in that CL semi final and final; Hazard and Giroud for Chelsea.
Of course, Ligue 1 is not on par with PL and Liga. But it is not a crappy league either. And it is rather normal they are not in par when PL clubs buy any remootely promising player, sometimes even before they get their professional contract with their home club.
Ligue 1 doesn't lack quality, it lacks money. Before FFP hit Monaco hard, they had money and were ambitious and i don't think people didn't find that season interesting. Too bad, with FFP, no french club can compete, this is a sad truth. I have some hope with Nice as Radcliffe is supposed to buy them and is ambitious.