Ligue 1
Encyclopedia
Ligue 1 is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system
. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel
, the other being Ligue 2
. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation
with Ligue 2. Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 38 games each totaling 380 games in the season. Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with a few games played during weekday evenings. Play is regularly suspended the last weekend before Christmas for two weeks before returning in the second week of January. Ligue 1 is one of the top national leagues, currently ranked fifth in Europe behind the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga
, the German Bundesliga and the Italian Serie A
. The league is officially known as Ligue 1 Orange as it is sponsored by French telecommunications company Orange.
Ligue 1 was inaugurated on 11 September 1932 under the name National before switching to Division 1 after a year of existence. The name lasted until 2002 before switching to its current name. The current champions are Lille
, who won their third title in the 2010–11 season
. With their title, Lille ended a historic drought having last won the title during the 1953–54 season.
Ligue 1 is generally regarded as competently run, with good planning of fixtures, complete and consistently enforced rules, timely resolution of issues, and adequate escalation procedures of judicial disputes to national or international institutions. The league has faced three significant corruption scandals in its history (Antibes
in 1933, Red Star
in the 1950s, and Marseille
in 1993) and has preserved its reputation every time through swift and appropriately severe punishment of the guilty parties.
of the French Football Federation
voted 128–20 in support of professionalism in French football. The founding fathers of professionalism in French football are Georges Bayrou, Emmanuel Gambardella, and Gabriel Hanot
. Professionalism was officially implemented in 1932.
In order to successfully create a professional football league in the country, the Federation limited the league to twenty clubs. In order to participate in the competition, clubs were subjected to three important criteria:
Many clubs disagreed with the subjective criteria, most notably Strasbourg
, RC Roubaix
, Amiens SC
, and Stade Français
, while others like Rennes and Olympique Lillois
were reluctant to become professional due to a variety of reasons, mostly due to fear of bankruptcy with Rennes and a conflict of interest
with the latter club, as the team's president Henri Jooris also served as chairman of the Ligue du Nord. Jooris feared his league would fold and proposed it become the second division of the new league. Eventually, many clubs earned professional status, though it became more difficult to convince Northern clubs with Strasbourg, RC Roubaix, and Amiens still refusing to accept the new league, though Mulhouse
, Excelsior AC Roubaix
, Metz
, and Fives
accepted professionalism. On the other side, clubs in the south of France such as Olympique de Marseille
, Hyères
, SO Montpellier
, SC Nîmes
, Cannes
, Antibes
, and Nice
were extremely supportive of the new league and accepted their professional status without argument.
The league's inaugural season of the all-professional league, called National, was held in 1932–1933. The 20 inaugural members of National were Antibes
, CA Paris, Cannes
, Club Français
, Excelsior AC Roubaix
, Fives
, Hyères
, Marseille
, Metz
, Mulhouse
, Nice
, Nîmes
, Olympique Alès
, Olympique Lillois
, Racing Club de France
, Red Star Olympique
, Rennes, Sochaux
, Sète
, and SO Montpellier. The 20 clubs were inserted into two groups of 10 with the bottom three of each group suffering relegation to Division 2. The two winners of each group would then face each other in a final held at a neutral venue, which later turned out to the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir
. The first final was held on 14 May 1933 and it matched the winner of Group A, Olympique Lillois, against the runner-up of Group B, Cannes. Antibes, the winner of Group B, was supposed to take part in the final but was suspected of bribery by the French Football Federation
and was forced into disqualification. In the first final, Lillois were crowned the inaugural champions following the club's 4–3 victory. After the season, the league decided to retain the 14 clubs and not promote any sides from the second division. The league also agreed to change its name from National to simply Division 1. For the 1934–35 season, the league organized a legitimate promotion and relegation system bringing the total tally of clubs in the first division to 16. The number remained until the 1938–39 season.
Because of World War II, football was suspended by the French government and the Ligue de Football Professionnel
, although its member clubs continued playing in regional competitions. During the "war championships", as they are called, professionalism was abolished by the Vichy regime and clubs were forced to participate in regional leagues, designated as Zone Sud and Zone Nord. Due to its non-association with the two leagues, the LFP and FFF do not recognize the championships won by the clubs and thus 1939–1945 is non-existent in the two organizations view. Following the conclusion of the war and the liberation of France, professional football returned to France. The first division increased its allotment of clubs to 18. This number remained until the 1965–66 season when the number was increased to 20. In 2002, the league changed its name from Division 1 to Ligue 1.
hosted Lyon
at the Stade de France
in 2007 and 2008. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference
, and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned champion. If points are equal, the goal difference and then goals scored determine the winner. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank. The three lowest placed teams are relegated to Ligue 2
and the top three teams from Ligue 2 are promoted in their place.
Previously, the league utilized a different promotion and relegation format. Prior to 1995, the league's format was direct relegation of the bottom two teams and a play-off between the third-last first-division team and the winner of the second-division play-offs, similar to the Dutch Eredivisie
, and the German Fußball-Bundesliga
. The league has also experimented with a "bonus" rule. From 1973 to 1976, a rule rewarded teams scoring three or more goals in a game with one extra point, regardless of outcome, with the objective of encouraging offensive play. The experience was ultimately inconclusive. At the start of the 2006–07 season, the league introduced an Attacking Play Table to encourage the scoring of more goals in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2
. The LFP, with the help of the former manager Michel Hidalgo introduced the idea to reward those teams who score the most goals. The table was similar to the previous idea, but was independent from the official league table and clubs were only rewarded with monetary bonuses.
, with the top two proceeding directly to the group phase. The third-placed team enters in the final qualifying round. The fourth-placed team qualifies for the UEFA Europa League. The other two Europa League places are determined through the country's two domestic cup competitions, the Coupe de France
and Coupe de la Ligue
. If both of the cup winners qualify for Europe through their league position, the fifth and sixth-placed teams in Ligue 1 will qualify for the Europa League. The league can also be awarded a European place based on their UEFA Fair Play ranking
. The league operates a Fair Play table to determine the winning club if France turns out to be the winning nation based on their Fair Play ranking.
that season, which averaged 2.81 a game. In the 2010–11 season, Ligue 1 clubs averaged 2.34 goals a game whilst the Premier League averaged 2.8.
Ligue 1 clubs are perceived to play overly defensive football
with many of the clubs utilizing a holding midfielder with some clubs playing as many as two. The position has become somewhat of a mainstay in the league with several of the players occupying the position, such as Claude Makélélé
, Alou Diarra
, Rio Mavuba, and Frédéric Thomas
serving as first-choice captain of their respective club.
started a record streak of seven successive titles. Lyon's initial league titles were closely contested; however, the 2005–06 season saw Lyon capture the title by an unprecedented 15-point margin. The following season, they won the league with a 17-point gap, securing the title with several matches to spare. Lyon were also successful in Europe and, under president Jean-Michel Aulas
, adopted a strategy which allowed them to acquire many of the top players of other clubs. The strategy paid off with Lyon notably signing players such as Michael Essien
, Florent Malouda
, Éric Abidal
, Sébastien Squillaci
, Kim Källström
, and Jérémy Toulalan
, among others. The resulting dominance led many to decry a lack of competitiveness within the league, making it boring and predictable with only Marseille
, Monaco
, Lille
and Bordeaux
challenging the seven-time champions during their run.
Lyon's dominance came to an end during the 2008–09 season when they were upended by not only champions Bordeaux, but also Marseille who finished runner-up. The 2009–10 Ligue 1
season witnessed increased parity in the league, as Lyon was challenged not only by established clubs such as Bordeaux, Marseille (the eventual winner), and Lille, but also smaller clubs like Montpellier
and Auxerre
.
(Now UEFA Champions League
) in 1955, only one French club has won the competition, Marseille in 1992–93. Along with Paris Saint-Germain (Cup Winners Cup
in 1996), they are the only French clubs to have ever won a European competition. This record is considerably inferior to lower ranked leagues in Europe like the Dutch Eredivisie
or the Portuguese Liga
.
Failure in the European Cup began in the early stages of the competition with powerful French club Stade de Reims losing to Real Madrid
in the inaugural final
. Three years later, Reims returned to the final
where they again fell to Madrid. It took almost two decades before another French side returned to the final of the European Cup. Dynastic club Saint-Étienne
reached the 1976 European Cup Final
but fell 1–0 to German
powerhouse Bayern Munich
. Though Saint-Étienne were defeated, the club brought French football
back into the spotlight, which had lain dormant in Europe following Reims fall from grace. In the competition leading up to the final, Saint-Étienne defeated European powerhouses Rangers
, Dynamo Kyiv
and PSV Eindhoven.
Following Saint-Étienne's success, the club entered a dry spell, which resulted in French clubs again failing to establish themselves in Europe. During the 1980s, Bordeaux achieved the country's best finish of the decade reaching the semi-finals during the 1984–85 edition of the cup. A French club finally returned to the final of the competition when Marseille, led by Jean-Pierre Papin
advanced all the way to the ultimate match before falling to then Yugoslavia
n club Red Star Belgrade
on penalties in 1991. Two years later, Marseille earned France its first ever European Cup title when the club won the competition
, now called the UEFA Champions League
, after defeating Italian
club Milan
1–0. The victory was with controversy after Marseille president Bernard Tapie
was accused and convicted of match fixing
following his attempt to bribe
Valenciennes
players into "taking it easy" on Marseille players so as they would not waste their energy with the Champions League final being just days later. Marseille would later be stripped of their league title, but not their Champions League title.
Despite Lyon's dominance during their seven-year span of league titles, the club has failed to reach a UEFA Champions League final or, prior to 2010, even a semi-final. During the 2000s, Lyon were trumped on European level by Monaco
who, led by Didier Deschamps
, reached the 2004 final
, but were defeated by Portuguese
outfit Porto 3–0. Lyon's best overall performance in the competition, prior to the 2009–10 season, came during the 2004–05 season where they reached the quarterfinals and suffered defeat to PSV Eindhoven on penalties.
For the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League season, the criticism of French clubs' performances in the competition has dwindled following the successful play of both Bordeaux and Lyon. Bordeaux, led by youthful manager Laurent Blanc
and influential playmaker Yoann Gourcuff
, went undefeated in their group stage, which included the likes of Bayern Munich and Juventus
. Lyon performed strong in the group stage and were partly responsible for eliminating English club Liverpool
as they went undefeated against them. In the knockout rounds, Bordeaux defeated Greek
club Olympiacos, while Lyon pulled off an upset eliminating Real Madrid who were due to host the tournament's final
. Following the draw on 19 March 2010, both French clubs were pitted against each other, which assured that a French club would appear in the semi-finals. Lyon advanced with a 3–2 aggregate win.
, an organisation responsible for monitoring the accounts of professional association football clubs in France. It was founded in 1984 and is an administrative directorate of the Ligue de Football Professionnel
(LFP). The mission of the DNCG is to oversee all financial operations of the 44 member clubs of the LFP, develop the resources of professional clubs, apply sanctions to those clubs breaking the rules of operation, defend the morals and interests of French football in general.
Following a report by the DNCG, it was determined that the combined budget of Ligue 1 clubs was €910 million for the 2005–06 season, a 39% increase from the 2002–03 season. The prominent reason for the rise was mainly associated with the television rights deal the league regularly signs. Excluding Paris Saint-Germain, many of the top division clubs are extremely healthy with clubs such as Auxerre
, Bordeaux
, Lille
, and Lyon
being referred to as "managed to perfection". However, recently the DNCG has encouraged clubs to concentrate on limiting their "skyrocketing wage bills and the magnitude of their debts" after it was discovered that the LFP clubs accounts as a whole were in the red for the third consecutive season (2008–2011) with an estimated deficit of €130 million. Ligue 1 ranks fifth in terms of revenue brought in by clubs with the league bringing in £0.6 billion for the 2006–07 season trailing England, Italy, Spain, and Germany.
In terms of world football, clubs Lyon and Marseille
are some of the richest football clubs in the world. The clubs regularly feature in the Deloitte Football Money League
, which is the ranking of football clubs by revenue generated from football operations. The most recent list was conducted for the 2008–09 season and Lyon ranked 13th among clubs generating approximately €139.6 million, while Marseille were right behind them in 14th position generating €133.2 million.
, Montpellier
, Nice
, Rennes, and Sochaux
are the only founding members of the league to be playing in Ligue 1. Paris Saint-Germain, Auxerre
, Dijon
, and Evian are the only clubs to have not suffered points relegation. Paris Saint-Germain earned promotion to the first division for the 1974–75 season and has not faltered down since. Auxerre made its debut in the league six years later and have yet to suffer relegation, while Dijon and Evian are making their debuts in the league for the 2011–12 season. Paris Saint-Germain have been administratively relegated by the league following its split from Paris FC
in 1972.
season.
a: Founding member of Ligue 1
b: Never been relegated from Ligue 1
has an exclusive broadcasting agreement with premium pay TV channels, Canal+
and Orange. The agreement, reached on 2 February 2008, pays the LFP €668 million over four seasons. Canal+ were initially reluctant to agree to the deal due to the criticisms associated with Ligue 1 (See above) and the league's decision to split the rights into 12 packages, which was seen as controversial in some quarters and imaginative in others as it allowed smaller broadcasters, such as Orange and SFR
to bid on specific matches.
Following the announcement of the agreement, it was revealed that Canal+ brought nine of the twelve packages, while Orange acquire the others. Orange acquisitions include mobile broadcasting of Ligue 1 matches, an on-demand
service, and one premium package. Canal+ acquired two of the premium packages, which includes all of the showcase matches that are broadcast on Sunday night. Canal+ also acquired a package that allows for streaming
of Ligue 1 matches online. Canal's streaming service, Foot Plus, was introduced at the start of the 2008–09 season.
. In countries such as Switzerland
and Poland
, Ligue 1 airs on sister channels of Canal+
. In Germany, league airs on Eurosport
, while in the Baltic States, it airs on Viasat Sport
. Ligue 1 is shown on Galaxie Sport in the Czech Republic
and Slovakia
. On 1 April 2010, the Ligue de Football Professionnel announced that the league had reached a multi-million euro broadcasting agreement with Italian channel Sportitalia
. The channel will broadcast Ligue 1 games for the next two seasons beginning with the 2010–11 season. Sportitalia will show four live matches a week and will also air a weekly highlights show.
and TV5 Monde in the United States. In Brazil
, pay television channel Sportv
airs matches from the league, while in Mexico
and the Caribbean
, the league airs on Televisa Deportes Network
, as well as TV5Monde with five matches being televised a week, three games live and two on delay. In Asia, matches air on Guangdong TV
in China. Ligue 1 is shown on J Sports
in Japan. On 8 April 2010, a deal was reached a week later with Hong Kong telecommunications company PCCW
who will broadcasts Ligue 1 matches in the region for the next two seasons.
and designed and created by Franco
-Argentine
artist Pablo Reinoso. The trophy has been awarded to the champion of France since the end of the 2006–07 season, replacing the previous Ligue 1 trophy that had existed for only five years. The name Hexagoal was derived from an official competition created by the LFP and French TV channel TF1
to determine a name for the new trophy. Over 9,000 proposals were sent it and, on 20 May 2007, French Football Federation
member Frédéric Thiriez announced that, following an online vote, the term Hexagoal had received half of the votes. The first club to hoist the new trophy was Olympique Lyonnais
who earned the honour after winning the 2007–08 season.
award. Following the season, the UNFP Awards
are held and awards such as the Player of the Year, Manager of the Year, and Young Player of the Year from both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2
are handed out.
French football league system
The French football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in France. At the top two levels of the system is the Ligue de Football Professionnel, which consists of two professional national divisions, Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. Below that are a number of leagues run by the...
. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel
Ligue de Football Professionnel
The Ligue de Football Professionnel , commonly known as the LFP, is a French governing body that runs the major professional football leagues in France. It was founded in 1944 and serves under the authority of the French Football Federation...
, the other being Ligue 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
with Ligue 2. Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 38 games each totaling 380 games in the season. Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with a few games played during weekday evenings. Play is regularly suspended the last weekend before Christmas for two weeks before returning in the second week of January. Ligue 1 is one of the top national leagues, currently ranked fifth in Europe behind the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
, the German Bundesliga and the Italian Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
. The league is officially known as Ligue 1 Orange as it is sponsored by French telecommunications company Orange.
Ligue 1 was inaugurated on 11 September 1932 under the name National before switching to Division 1 after a year of existence. The name lasted until 2002 before switching to its current name. The current champions are Lille
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
, who won their third title in the 2010–11 season
2010–11 Ligue 1
The 2010–11 Ligue 1 season was the 73rd since its establishment. Entering the season, Marseille were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 21 May 2010 and the season began on 7 August and ended on 29 May 2011. The winter break was in effect between 23 December and 15 January 2011...
. With their title, Lille ended a historic drought having last won the title during the 1953–54 season.
Ligue 1 is generally regarded as competently run, with good planning of fixtures, complete and consistently enforced rules, timely resolution of issues, and adequate escalation procedures of judicial disputes to national or international institutions. The league has faced three significant corruption scandals in its history (Antibes
FC Antibes
Football Club Antibes Juan-les-Pins is a French association football team based in Antibes. The team currently plays at an amateur and regional level but was part of Division 1 for 7 seasons, from its beginning in 1932 to 1939.-Landmarks:...
in 1933, Red Star
Red Star Saint-Ouen
Red Star Football Club 93 is a French association football club based in Saint-Ouen located in the northern suburbs of Paris. The club was founded in 1897 and currently play in the Championnat National, the third level of French football...
in the 1950s, and Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
in 1993) and has preserved its reputation every time through swift and appropriately severe punishment of the guilty parties.
Foundation
Prior to 1930, professionalism in French football was non-existent. In July 1930, the National CouncilNational Council
-Conservation:* National Council for Science and the Environment, a US-based non-profit organization which has a mission to improve the scientific basis for environmental decisionmaking...
of the French Football Federation
French Football Federation
The French Football Federation is the governing body of association football in France, as well as the overseas departments and territories . It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital Paris...
voted 128–20 in support of professionalism in French football. The founding fathers of professionalism in French football are Georges Bayrou, Emmanuel Gambardella, and Gabriel Hanot
Gabriel Hanot
Gabriel Hanot was a French association football player and journalist .He made 12 appearances for the France national football team, with his debut coming on 8 March 1908 against Switzerland. He made another 10 appearances for them up to World War I...
. Professionalism was officially implemented in 1932.
In order to successfully create a professional football league in the country, the Federation limited the league to twenty clubs. In order to participate in the competition, clubs were subjected to three important criteria:
- The incoming club must have had positive results in the past.
- The incoming club must be able to pull in enough revenue to balance its finances.
- The incoming club must be able to successfully recruit at least eight professional players.
Many clubs disagreed with the subjective criteria, most notably Strasbourg
RC Strasbourg
Racing Club de Strasbourg is a French association football club founded in 1906 and professional since 1933, based in the city of Strasbourg, in Alsace...
, RC Roubaix
RC Roubaix
Racing Club de Roubaix was a French association football team playing in the city of Roubaix, Nord.-History:The team was founded in 1895 and was very successful before the establishment of professionalism in France...
, Amiens SC
Amiens SC
Amiens Sporting Club is a French association football club based in Amiens. The club was formed in 1901 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second level of French football. The club plays its home matches at the Stade de la Licorne located within the city...
, and Stade Français
Stade Français Paris (football)
Stade Français Football is a French association football team based in Paris and playing in suburb town of Vaucresson. The team is the football section of omnisport club Stade Français, whose rugby section, Stade Français Paris, is currently the most successful...
, while others like Rennes and Olympique Lillois
Olympique Lillois
Olympique Lillois was a French association football club from the city of Lille. Founded in 1902 they merged with SC Fives in 1944 to form Lille OSC.-Honours:Championnat de France*Champion : 1933*Runner-up : 1936Trophée de France...
were reluctant to become professional due to a variety of reasons, mostly due to fear of bankruptcy with Rennes and a conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
with the latter club, as the team's president Henri Jooris also served as chairman of the Ligue du Nord. Jooris feared his league would fold and proposed it become the second division of the new league. Eventually, many clubs earned professional status, though it became more difficult to convince Northern clubs with Strasbourg, RC Roubaix, and Amiens still refusing to accept the new league, though Mulhouse
FC Mulhouse
Football Club de Mulhouse is a French association football club based in Mulhouse. The club was founded in 1893 and currently play in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth level of French football. Mulhouse plays its home matches at the Stade de l'Ill located within the city...
, Excelsior AC Roubaix
Excelsior AC Roubaix
Excelsior Athlétic Club de Roubaix was a French association football team playing in the city of Roubaix, Nord.-History:The team was founded in 1928 in a merger between Football Club de Roubaix and Excelsior Club de Tourcoing.In 1932, the team turned professional and played the first professional...
, Metz
FC Metz
Football Club de Metz, commonly referred to as simply Metz , is a French association football club based in Metz. The club was formed in 1932 and has spent most of its history in the Ligue 1, though they currently play in Ligue 2, the second level in French football league system. Metz plays its...
, and Fives
SC Fives
SC Fives was a French association football club from Fives, a suburb in the east of Lille. Founded in 1901, the club merged with Olympique Lillois in 1944 to form Lille OSC.-Honours:Championnat de France*Runner-up : 1934Coupe de France...
accepted professionalism. On the other side, clubs in the south of France such as Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
, Hyères
Hyères FC
Hyères Football Club is a French association football team playing in the city of Hyères, Var. The club was founded in 1912 and played the first ever season of professional football in France in 1932–1933 but was relegated...
, SO Montpellier
Montpellier HSC
Montpellier Hérault Sport Club is a French association football club based in the city of Montpellier. The club was founded in 1919 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Montpellier plays its home matches at the Stade de la Mosson, located within the city...
, SC Nîmes
Nîmes Olympique
Nîmes Olympique is a French association football club based in Nîmes. The club was formed on 10 April 1937 and currently play in Championnat National, the third level of French football. The club's only achievement was winning Ligue 2 in 1950 and the Championnat National in 1997...
, Cannes
AS Cannes
Association Sportive de Cannes Football is a French association football club based in Cannes. The club was formed 1902 as a sports club and currently play in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth division of French football. Cannes plays its home matches at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin...
, Antibes
FC Antibes
Football Club Antibes Juan-les-Pins is a French association football team based in Antibes. The team currently plays at an amateur and regional level but was part of Division 1 for 7 seasons, from its beginning in 1932 to 1939.-Landmarks:...
, and Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...
were extremely supportive of the new league and accepted their professional status without argument.
Establishment
| Season | Winner |
|---|---|
| 1932–33 | Olympique Lillois Olympique Lillois Olympique Lillois was a French association football club from the city of Lille. Founded in 1902 they merged with SC Fives in 1944 to form Lille OSC.-Honours:Championnat de France*Champion : 1933*Runner-up : 1936Trophée de France... |
| 1933–34 | Sète FC Sète FC Sète 34 is a French football club based in Sète and founded in 1900. The club won the French league twice and the French cup also twice . In 1934 they became the first club to win the French league and cup double.... |
| 1934–35 | Sochaux FC Sochaux-Montbéliard Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard is a French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Sochaux plays its home matches at the Stade Auguste Bonal located within the city... |
| 1935–36 | Racing Club de France RCF Paris Racing Club de France – Levallois 92 is a French association football club formerly based in Colombes, a suburb of Paris. In 2009, the club moved to nearby Levallois-Perret after the club reached a financial agreement with the commune. Racing was founded in 1882 as a sports club and is one of the... |
| 1936–37 | Marseille Olympique de Marseille Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In... |
| 1937–38 | Sochaux FC Sochaux-Montbéliard Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard is a French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Sochaux plays its home matches at the Stade Auguste Bonal located within the city... |
| 1938–39 | Sète FC Sète FC Sète 34 is a French football club based in Sète and founded in 1900. The club won the French league twice and the French cup also twice . In 1934 they became the first club to win the French league and cup double.... |
The league's inaugural season of the all-professional league, called National, was held in 1932–1933. The 20 inaugural members of National were Antibes
FC Antibes
Football Club Antibes Juan-les-Pins is a French association football team based in Antibes. The team currently plays at an amateur and regional level but was part of Division 1 for 7 seasons, from its beginning in 1932 to 1939.-Landmarks:...
, CA Paris, Cannes
AS Cannes
Association Sportive de Cannes Football is a French association football club based in Cannes. The club was formed 1902 as a sports club and currently play in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth division of French football. Cannes plays its home matches at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin...
, Club Français
Club Français
Club Français was a French association football team based in Paris which was founded in 1890. Club Français won the Coupe de France Final 1931, its only major honour.The club played the first ever Division 1 season in 1932–33 but was relegated in Division 2...
, Excelsior AC Roubaix
Excelsior AC Roubaix
Excelsior Athlétic Club de Roubaix was a French association football team playing in the city of Roubaix, Nord.-History:The team was founded in 1928 in a merger between Football Club de Roubaix and Excelsior Club de Tourcoing.In 1932, the team turned professional and played the first professional...
, Fives
SC Fives
SC Fives was a French association football club from Fives, a suburb in the east of Lille. Founded in 1901, the club merged with Olympique Lillois in 1944 to form Lille OSC.-Honours:Championnat de France*Runner-up : 1934Coupe de France...
, Hyères
Hyères FC
Hyères Football Club is a French association football team playing in the city of Hyères, Var. The club was founded in 1912 and played the first ever season of professional football in France in 1932–1933 but was relegated...
, Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
, Metz
FC Metz
Football Club de Metz, commonly referred to as simply Metz , is a French association football club based in Metz. The club was formed in 1932 and has spent most of its history in the Ligue 1, though they currently play in Ligue 2, the second level in French football league system. Metz plays its...
, Mulhouse
FC Mulhouse
Football Club de Mulhouse is a French association football club based in Mulhouse. The club was founded in 1893 and currently play in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth level of French football. Mulhouse plays its home matches at the Stade de l'Ill located within the city...
, Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...
, Nîmes
Nîmes Olympique
Nîmes Olympique is a French association football club based in Nîmes. The club was formed on 10 April 1937 and currently play in Championnat National, the third level of French football. The club's only achievement was winning Ligue 2 in 1950 and the Championnat National in 1997...
, Olympique Alès
Olympique Alès
Olympique Alès is a French association football club founded in 1923, based in the commune of Alès. The Cévennes club currently playing in the Division d'Honneur Régionale – the seventh division – of the Ligue du Languedoc; the club in the past has played for six seasons in Ligue 1...
, Olympique Lillois
Olympique Lillois
Olympique Lillois was a French association football club from the city of Lille. Founded in 1902 they merged with SC Fives in 1944 to form Lille OSC.-Honours:Championnat de France*Champion : 1933*Runner-up : 1936Trophée de France...
, Racing Club de France
RCF Paris
Racing Club de France – Levallois 92 is a French association football club formerly based in Colombes, a suburb of Paris. In 2009, the club moved to nearby Levallois-Perret after the club reached a financial agreement with the commune. Racing was founded in 1882 as a sports club and is one of the...
, Red Star Olympique
Red Star Saint-Ouen
Red Star Football Club 93 is a French association football club based in Saint-Ouen located in the northern suburbs of Paris. The club was founded in 1897 and currently play in the Championnat National, the third level of French football...
, Rennes, Sochaux
FC Sochaux-Montbéliard
Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard is a French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Sochaux plays its home matches at the Stade Auguste Bonal located within the city...
, Sète
FC Sète
FC Sète 34 is a French football club based in Sète and founded in 1900. The club won the French league twice and the French cup also twice . In 1934 they became the first club to win the French league and cup double....
, and SO Montpellier. The 20 clubs were inserted into two groups of 10 with the bottom three of each group suffering relegation to Division 2. The two winners of each group would then face each other in a final held at a neutral venue, which later turned out to the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir
Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir
The Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir - stadium in Colombes, near Paris, France . Named in memory of French rugby player Yves du Manoir in 1928. Was the main stadium for the 1924 Summer Olympics and had a capacity of 45,000 at the time...
. The first final was held on 14 May 1933 and it matched the winner of Group A, Olympique Lillois, against the runner-up of Group B, Cannes. Antibes, the winner of Group B, was supposed to take part in the final but was suspected of bribery by the French Football Federation
French Football Federation
The French Football Federation is the governing body of association football in France, as well as the overseas departments and territories . It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital Paris...
and was forced into disqualification. In the first final, Lillois were crowned the inaugural champions following the club's 4–3 victory. After the season, the league decided to retain the 14 clubs and not promote any sides from the second division. The league also agreed to change its name from National to simply Division 1. For the 1934–35 season, the league organized a legitimate promotion and relegation system bringing the total tally of clubs in the first division to 16. The number remained until the 1938–39 season.
Because of World War II, football was suspended by the French government and the Ligue de Football Professionnel
Ligue de Football Professionnel
The Ligue de Football Professionnel , commonly known as the LFP, is a French governing body that runs the major professional football leagues in France. It was founded in 1944 and serves under the authority of the French Football Federation...
, although its member clubs continued playing in regional competitions. During the "war championships", as they are called, professionalism was abolished by the Vichy regime and clubs were forced to participate in regional leagues, designated as Zone Sud and Zone Nord. Due to its non-association with the two leagues, the LFP and FFF do not recognize the championships won by the clubs and thus 1939–1945 is non-existent in the two organizations view. Following the conclusion of the war and the liberation of France, professional football returned to France. The first division increased its allotment of clubs to 18. This number remained until the 1965–66 season when the number was increased to 20. In 2002, the league changed its name from Division 1 to Ligue 1.
Competition format
There are 20 clubs in Ligue 1. During the course of a season, usually from August to May, each club plays the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 38 games, though special circumstances may allow a club to host matches at other venues such as when LilleLille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
hosted Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
at the Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
in 2007 and 2008. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference
Goal difference
In sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points....
, and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned champion. If points are equal, the goal difference and then goals scored determine the winner. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank. The three lowest placed teams are relegated to Ligue 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
and the top three teams from Ligue 2 are promoted in their place.
Previously, the league utilized a different promotion and relegation format. Prior to 1995, the league's format was direct relegation of the bottom two teams and a play-off between the third-last first-division team and the winner of the second-division play-offs, similar to the Dutch Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
, and the German Fußball-Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
. The league has also experimented with a "bonus" rule. From 1973 to 1976, a rule rewarded teams scoring three or more goals in a game with one extra point, regardless of outcome, with the objective of encouraging offensive play. The experience was ultimately inconclusive. At the start of the 2006–07 season, the league introduced an Attacking Play Table to encourage the scoring of more goals in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
. The LFP, with the help of the former manager Michel Hidalgo introduced the idea to reward those teams who score the most goals. The table was similar to the previous idea, but was independent from the official league table and clubs were only rewarded with monetary bonuses.
European qualification
Currently, as determined by the UEFA coefficient, the top three teams in Ligue 1 qualify for the Champions LeagueUEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, with the top two proceeding directly to the group phase. The third-placed team enters in the final qualifying round. The fourth-placed team qualifies for the UEFA Europa League. The other two Europa League places are determined through the country's two domestic cup competitions, the Coupe de France
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
and Coupe de la Ligue
Coupe de la Ligue
The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
. If both of the cup winners qualify for Europe through their league position, the fifth and sixth-placed teams in Ligue 1 will qualify for the Europa League. The league can also be awarded a European place based on their UEFA Fair Play ranking
UEFA Fair Play ranking
The UEFA Fair Play ranking has been used by UEFA since 1995 to grant three berths for the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.-Current club qualification system:...
. The league operates a Fair Play table to determine the winning club if France turns out to be the winning nation based on their Fair Play ranking.
Reliance on defence
Many outside watchers of Ligue 1 have generally criticized the league for its over-reliance on defence, which results in matches being less entertaining. Over the last decade, Ligue 1 has regularly averaged the fewest goals per game among the top five European leagues, with the low point coming during the 2005–06 season at 2.1 goals a game, compared to the Fußball-BundesligaFußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
that season, which averaged 2.81 a game. In the 2010–11 season, Ligue 1 clubs averaged 2.34 goals a game whilst the Premier League averaged 2.8.
Ligue 1 clubs are perceived to play overly defensive football
Catenaccio
Catenaccio is a tactical system in football with an emphasis on defence. In Italian, catenaccio means "door-bolt", implying a highly organized and effective backline defense which is intended to prevent goals.-History:...
with many of the clubs utilizing a holding midfielder with some clubs playing as many as two. The position has become somewhat of a mainstay in the league with several of the players occupying the position, such as Claude Makélélé
Claude Makélélé
Claude Makélelé Sinda is a retired football player who used to play as a defensive midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1. Prior to joining Paris Saint-Germain, Makélélé played for Nantes, Olympique de Marseille, Celta Vigo, Real Madrid and Chelsea...
, Alou Diarra
Alou Diarra
Alou Diarra is a French international footballer who currently plays for French club Marseille in Ligue 1. He primarily plays as a defensive midfielder, but can also deputized as a centre back if necessary...
, Rio Mavuba, and Frédéric Thomas
Frédéric Thomas
Frédéric Thomas is a French midfielder. He currently plays for Le Mans FC after a spell at AJ Auxerre.-External links:...
serving as first-choice captain of their respective club.
Lyon dominance
Beginning with the 2001–02 season, Olympique LyonnaisOlympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
started a record streak of seven successive titles. Lyon's initial league titles were closely contested; however, the 2005–06 season saw Lyon capture the title by an unprecedented 15-point margin. The following season, they won the league with a 17-point gap, securing the title with several matches to spare. Lyon were also successful in Europe and, under president Jean-Michel Aulas
Jean-Michel Aulas
Jean-Michel Aulas is a French businessman. He is the founder and CEO of CEGID and serves as the owner and chairman of French football club Olympique Lyonnais whom he has owned since 1987. Aulas has also expanded his branch of football knowledge through Europe...
, adopted a strategy which allowed them to acquire many of the top players of other clubs. The strategy paid off with Lyon notably signing players such as Michael Essien
Michael Essien
Michael Kojo Essien is a Ghanaian footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Ghanaian national team. He is a midfielder who has often been touted as a box-to-box midfielder for his ability to exert boundless energy in supporting offensive and defensive play...
, Florent Malouda
Florent Malouda
Florent Johan Malouda is a French footballer who plays as a left winger for Chelsea and the French national team.-Châteauroux:A street footballer in his teen years, Malouda gradually developed into an interesting, new football talent, able to penetrate defenses with his technical skills and...
, Éric Abidal
Éric Abidal
Éric Sylvain Abidal is a French footballer who plays as a left or central defender for FC Barcelona and the France national team.-Club career:...
, Sébastien Squillaci
Sébastien Squillaci
Sébastien Squillaci is a French international footballer who plays for Arsenal. He plays as a central defender and is described as a player who "reads the game well" and is "strong in the air and on the ground"...
, Kim Källström
Kim Källström
Kim Källström is a left-footed Swedish midfielder playing for the Swedish national team and Olympique Lyonnais.-Early career:Källström's first professional club in Sweden was BK Häcken from Gothenburg but his big breakthrough in Sweden came when he moved to Djurgårdens IF in 2002, where he won the...
, and Jérémy Toulalan
Jérémy Toulalan
Jérémy Toulalan is a French footballer who currently plays for Málaga CF in La Liga. His usual position is as a defensive midfielder, but he can also be utilized as a central defender. He is best known for his shy and humble demeanor, simple distribution, good technique, and effective...
, among others. The resulting dominance led many to decry a lack of competitiveness within the league, making it boring and predictable with only Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
, Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...
, Lille
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
and Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
challenging the seven-time champions during their run.
Lyon's dominance came to an end during the 2008–09 season when they were upended by not only champions Bordeaux, but also Marseille who finished runner-up. The 2009–10 Ligue 1
2009–10 Ligue 1
The 2009–10 Ligue 1 season was the 72nd since its establishment. Bordeaux were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 5 June 2009, and play commenced on 8 August and ended on 15 May 2010. There were three promoted teams from Ligue 2, replacing the three teams that were relegated...
season witnessed increased parity in the league, as Lyon was challenged not only by established clubs such as Bordeaux, Marseille (the eventual winner), and Lille, but also smaller clubs like Montpellier
Montpellier HSC
Montpellier Hérault Sport Club is a French association football club based in the city of Montpellier. The club was founded in 1919 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Montpellier plays its home matches at the Stade de la Mosson, located within the city...
and Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
.
Failure in European competitions
Since the creation of the European CupUEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
(Now UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
) in 1955, only one French club has won the competition, Marseille in 1992–93. Along with Paris Saint-Germain (Cup Winners Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
in 1996), they are the only French clubs to have ever won a European competition. This record is considerably inferior to lower ranked leagues in Europe like the Dutch Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
or the Portuguese Liga
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...
.
Failure in the European Cup began in the early stages of the competition with powerful French club Stade de Reims losing to Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
in the inaugural final
1956 European Cup Final
The 1956 European Cup Final was the first ever final in the pan-European football competition, the European Cup, now known as the UEFA Champions League. It was contested by Real Madrid of Spain and Stade de Reims-Champagne from France. It was played at the Parc des Princes in Paris on 13 June 1956...
. Three years later, Reims returned to the final
1959 European Cup Final
The 1959 European Cup Final was the fourth final in the pan-European football competition, the European Cup, now known as the UEFA Champions League. It was contested by Real Madrid of Spain and Stade de Reims-Champagne from France. It was played at the Neckarstadion in Stuttgart on 3 June 1959 in...
where they again fell to Madrid. It took almost two decades before another French side returned to the final of the European Cup. Dynastic club Saint-Étienne
AS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...
reached the 1976 European Cup Final
1976 European Cup Final
The 1976 European Cup Final was a football match held at Hampden Park, Glasgow, on 12 May 1976, that saw Bayern Munich of West Germany defeat Saint-Étienne of France 1–0.-Match summary:...
but fell 1–0 to German
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
powerhouse Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
. Though Saint-Étienne were defeated, the club brought French football
Football in France
Football is the most popular sport in France. The Fédération Française de Football is the national governing bodyand is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of association football in the country, both professional and amateur...
back into the spotlight, which had lain dormant in Europe following Reims fall from grace. In the competition leading up to the final, Saint-Étienne defeated European powerhouses Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
, Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv is a professional football club based in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Founded in 1927, the club currently participates in the Ukrainian Premier League and has spent its entire history in the top league of Soviet and later Ukrainian football...
and PSV Eindhoven.
Following Saint-Étienne's success, the club entered a dry spell, which resulted in French clubs again failing to establish themselves in Europe. During the 1980s, Bordeaux achieved the country's best finish of the decade reaching the semi-finals during the 1984–85 edition of the cup. A French club finally returned to the final of the competition when Marseille, led by Jean-Pierre Papin
Jean-Pierre Papin
Jean-Pierre Papin is a former French professional football player who was European Footballer of the Year in 1991.Papin achieved his greatest success while playing for Olympique Marseille between 1986 and 1992...
advanced all the way to the ultimate match before falling to then Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
n club Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade
Red Star Belgrade is a football club from Belgrade, Serbia. The club is a part of the Red Star Sports Society.Red Star Belgrade is the most successful Serbian club, with a record of 25 national championships and 23 national cups in both Serbian and ex-Yugoslav competitions...
on penalties in 1991. Two years later, Marseille earned France its first ever European Cup title when the club won the competition
1993 UEFA Champions League Final
The 1993 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match between French club Marseille and Italian club Milan, played on 26 May 1993 at the Olympiastadion in Munich, Germany....
, now called the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, after defeating Italian
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
club Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
1–0. The victory was with controversy after Marseille president Bernard Tapie
Bernard Tapie
Bernard Tapie is a French businessman, politician and occasional actor, singer, and TV host. He was Ministre de la Ville in the government of Pierre Bérégovoy, a businessman specializing in recovery for bankrupted companies, among which Adidas is the most famous ; and owner of sports teams...
was accused and convicted of match fixing
Match fixing
In organised sports, match fixing, game fixing, race fixing, or sports fixing occurs as a match is played to a completely or partially pre-determined result, violating the rules of the game and often the law. Where the sporting competition in question is a race then the incident is referred to as...
following his attempt to bribe
Bribery
Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
Valenciennes
Valenciennes FC
Valenciennes Football Club is a French association football club based in Valenciennes. The club was founded in 1913 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Valenciennes plays its home matches at the recently-built Stade du Hainaut located within the city...
players into "taking it easy" on Marseille players so as they would not waste their energy with the Champions League final being just days later. Marseille would later be stripped of their league title, but not their Champions League title.
Despite Lyon's dominance during their seven-year span of league titles, the club has failed to reach a UEFA Champions League final or, prior to 2010, even a semi-final. During the 2000s, Lyon were trumped on European level by Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...
who, led by Didier Deschamps
Didier Deschamps
Didier Claude Deschamps is a retired French footballer and current manager of Marseille. He played as a defensive midfielder. As an international, he assisted France with victories in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000...
, reached the 2004 final
2004 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2004 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on 26 May 2004, to decide the winner of the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League...
, but were defeated by Portuguese
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...
outfit Porto 3–0. Lyon's best overall performance in the competition, prior to the 2009–10 season, came during the 2004–05 season where they reached the quarterfinals and suffered defeat to PSV Eindhoven on penalties.
For the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League season, the criticism of French clubs' performances in the competition has dwindled following the successful play of both Bordeaux and Lyon. Bordeaux, led by youthful manager Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux...
and influential playmaker Yoann Gourcuff
Yoann Gourcuff
Yoann Miguel Gourcuff is a French international footballer who currently plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1. He operates mainly as an attacking midfielder, but can also be utilized as a withdrawn striker and is described as a "playmaker of real quality" who "is an accomplished...
, went undefeated in their group stage, which included the likes of Bayern Munich and Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
. Lyon performed strong in the group stage and were partly responsible for eliminating English club Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
as they went undefeated against them. In the knockout rounds, Bordeaux defeated Greek
Super League Greece
The Superleague Greece is the highest professional football league in Greece. It was formed on July 16, 2006 and replaced Alpha Ethniki at the top of the Greek football league system. The league consists of 16 teams and runs from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each...
club Olympiacos, while Lyon pulled off an upset eliminating Real Madrid who were due to host the tournament's final
2010 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2010 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of Real Madrid, on Saturday, 22 May 2010, to determine the winners of the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League. It was the first Champions League final to be played on a Saturday, rather than the...
. Following the draw on 19 March 2010, both French clubs were pitted against each other, which assured that a French club would appear in the semi-finals. Lyon advanced with a 3–2 aggregate win.
Finances
Ligue 1 clubs' finances and budgets are managed by the DNCGDirection Nationale du Contrôle de Gestion
The Direction Nationale du Contrôle de Gestion is the organization responsible for monitoring and overseeing the accounts of professional association football clubs in France. It was founded in 1984 and is an administrative directorate of the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
, an organisation responsible for monitoring the accounts of professional association football clubs in France. It was founded in 1984 and is an administrative directorate of the Ligue de Football Professionnel
Ligue de Football Professionnel
The Ligue de Football Professionnel , commonly known as the LFP, is a French governing body that runs the major professional football leagues in France. It was founded in 1944 and serves under the authority of the French Football Federation...
(LFP). The mission of the DNCG is to oversee all financial operations of the 44 member clubs of the LFP, develop the resources of professional clubs, apply sanctions to those clubs breaking the rules of operation, defend the morals and interests of French football in general.
Following a report by the DNCG, it was determined that the combined budget of Ligue 1 clubs was €910 million for the 2005–06 season, a 39% increase from the 2002–03 season. The prominent reason for the rise was mainly associated with the television rights deal the league regularly signs. Excluding Paris Saint-Germain, many of the top division clubs are extremely healthy with clubs such as Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
, Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
, Lille
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
, and Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
being referred to as "managed to perfection". However, recently the DNCG has encouraged clubs to concentrate on limiting their "skyrocketing wage bills and the magnitude of their debts" after it was discovered that the LFP clubs accounts as a whole were in the red for the third consecutive season (2008–2011) with an estimated deficit of €130 million. Ligue 1 ranks fifth in terms of revenue brought in by clubs with the league bringing in £0.6 billion for the 2006–07 season trailing England, Italy, Spain, and Germany.
In terms of world football, clubs Lyon and Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
are some of the richest football clubs in the world. The clubs regularly feature in the Deloitte Football Money League
Deloitte Football Money League
The Deloitte Football Money League is a ranking of football clubs by revenue generated from football operations. It is produced annually by the accountancy firm Deloitte and released in early February of each year, describing the season most recently finished....
, which is the ranking of football clubs by revenue generated from football operations. The most recent list was conducted for the 2008–09 season and Lyon ranked 13th among clubs generating approximately €139.6 million, while Marseille were right behind them in 14th position generating €133.2 million.
Clubs
A total of 76 clubs have played in Ligue 1 from its foundation in the 1932–33 season to the start of the 2011–12 season. Currently, MarseilleOlympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
, Montpellier
Montpellier HSC
Montpellier Hérault Sport Club is a French association football club based in the city of Montpellier. The club was founded in 1919 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Montpellier plays its home matches at the Stade de la Mosson, located within the city...
, Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...
, Rennes, and Sochaux
FC Sochaux-Montbéliard
Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard is a French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Sochaux plays its home matches at the Stade Auguste Bonal located within the city...
are the only founding members of the league to be playing in Ligue 1. Paris Saint-Germain, Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
, Dijon
Dijon FCO
Dijon Football Côte d'Or is a French association football club based in Dijon. The club was founded in 1998 as a result of a merger between two local clubs in the city and currently competes in Ligue 1 after gaining promotion for the first time ever in the 2010-11 season.The club president is...
, and Evian are the only clubs to have not suffered points relegation. Paris Saint-Germain earned promotion to the first division for the 1974–75 season and has not faltered down since. Auxerre made its debut in the league six years later and have yet to suffer relegation, while Dijon and Evian are making their debuts in the league for the 2011–12 season. Paris Saint-Germain have been administratively relegated by the league following its split from Paris FC
Paris FC
Paris Football Club is a French association football club based in Paris. The club was founded in 1969 and currently play in the Championnat National, the third level of French football. Paris plays its home matches at the Stade Charléty located in the 13th arrondissement of Paris...
in 1972.
Members for 2011–12
The following 20 clubs will compete in Ligue 1 during the 2011–122011–12 Ligue 1
The 2011–12 Ligue 1 season is the 74th since its establishment. Lille are the defending champions. The league schedule was announced on 31 March 2011 and the fixtures were determined on 10 June. The season began on 6 August 2011 and will end on 20 May 2012...
season.
| Club |
Position in 2010–11 |
First season in top division |
Number of seasons in Ligue 1 |
First season of current spell in top division |
Ligue 1 titles |
Last Ligue 1 title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ajaccio AC Ajaccio Athletic Club Ajaccio is a French association football club based in the city of Ajaccio on the island of Corsica. The club was founded in 1910 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, having finished 2nd in the 2010–11 campaign in Ligue 2. The club president is Alain... |
Ligue 2 Ligue 2 Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division... : 2nd |
2005–06 | 10 | 2011–12 | 0 | — |
| Auxerre AJ Auxerre Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the... b |
9th | 1980–81 | 32 | 1980–81 | 1 | 1995–96 |
| Bordeaux FC Girondins de Bordeaux Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season.... |
7th | 1945–46 | 59 | 1992–93 | 6 | 2008–09 |
| Brest Stade Brestois 29 Stade Brestois 29 is a French football club based in Brest. The club was founded in 1903 under the name Armoricaine de Brest and adopted its current name in 1950... |
16th | 1979–80 | 12 | 2010–11 | 0 | — |
| Caen SM Caen Stade Malherbe Caen is a professional French football team, playing in the city of Caen, Normandy. The club was founded on 17 November 1913 following the merger of Club Malherbe Caennais and Club Sportif Caennais... |
15th | 1988–89 | 13 | 2010–11 | 0 | — |
| Dijon Dijon FCO Dijon Football Côte d'Or is a French association football club based in Dijon. The club was founded in 1998 as a result of a merger between two local clubs in the city and currently competes in Ligue 1 after gaining promotion for the first time ever in the 2010-11 season.The club president is... b |
Ligue 2 Ligue 2 Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division... : 3rd |
2011–12 | 1 | 2011–12 | 0 | – |
| Evianb | Ligue 2 Ligue 2 Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division... : 1st |
2011–12 | 1 | 2011–12 | 0 | – |
| Lille Lille OSC LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the... |
1st | 1945–46 | 52 | 2000–01 | 3 | 2010–11 |
| Lorient FC Lorient Football Club Lorient-Bretagne Sud is a French association football club based in Lorient. The club was founded in 1926 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Lorient plays its home matches at the Stade du Moustoir located within the city. The team is managed by Christian... |
11th | 1998–99 | 8 | 2006–07 | 0 | — |
| Lyon Olympique Lyonnais Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The... |
3rd | 1951–52 | 53 | 1989–90 | 7 | 2007–08 |
| Marseille Olympique de Marseille Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In... a |
2nd | 1932–33 | 62 | 1995–96 | 9 | 2009–10 |
| Montpellier Montpellier HSC Montpellier Hérault Sport Club is a French association football club based in the city of Montpellier. The club was founded in 1919 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Montpellier plays its home matches at the Stade de la Mosson, located within the city... |
14th | 1981–82 | 20 | 2009–10 | 0 | — |
| Nancy AS Nancy Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine is a French association football club based in Nancy. The club was founded in 1967 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Nancy plays its home matches at the Stade Marcel Picot in Tomblaine, a commune located in the Arrondissement of... |
13th | 1970–71 | 28 | 2005–06 | 0 | — |
| Nice OGC Nice Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is... a |
17th | 1932–33 | 53 | 2002–03 | 4 | 1958–59 |
| Paris Saint-Germainb | 4th | 1974–75 | 38 | 1974–75 | 2 | 1993–94 |
| Rennesa | 6th | 1932–33 | 55 | 1994–95 | 0 | — |
| Saint-Étienne AS Saint-Étienne Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city... |
10th | 1938–39 | 59 | 2004–05 | 10 | 1980–81 |
| Sochaux FC Sochaux-Montbéliard Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard is a French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Sochaux plays its home matches at the Stade Auguste Bonal located within the city... a |
5th | 1932–33 | 64 | 2001–02 | 2 | 1937–38 |
| Toulouse Toulouse FC Toulouse Football Club is a French association football club based in the city of Toulouse. The club was founded in 1970 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Toulouse plays its home matches at the Stadium Municipal located within the city. The first team is managed by... |
8th | 1982–83 | 24 | 2003–04 | 0 | — |
| Valenciennes Valenciennes FC Valenciennes Football Club is a French association football club based in Valenciennes. The club was founded in 1913 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Valenciennes plays its home matches at the recently-built Stade du Hainaut located within the city... |
12th | 1960–61 | 31 | 2006–07 | 0 | — |
a: Founding member of Ligue 1
b: Never been relegated from Ligue 1
France
In France, the Ligue de Football ProfessionnelLigue de Football Professionnel
The Ligue de Football Professionnel , commonly known as the LFP, is a French governing body that runs the major professional football leagues in France. It was founded in 1944 and serves under the authority of the French Football Federation...
has an exclusive broadcasting agreement with premium pay TV channels, Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
and Orange. The agreement, reached on 2 February 2008, pays the LFP €668 million over four seasons. Canal+ were initially reluctant to agree to the deal due to the criticisms associated with Ligue 1 (See above) and the league's decision to split the rights into 12 packages, which was seen as controversial in some quarters and imaginative in others as it allowed smaller broadcasters, such as Orange and SFR
SFR
SFR is a French mobile phone company. It has over 20 million customers, and provides over 4.6 million households with high-speed internet access...
to bid on specific matches.
Following the announcement of the agreement, it was revealed that Canal+ brought nine of the twelve packages, while Orange acquire the others. Orange acquisitions include mobile broadcasting of Ligue 1 matches, an on-demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
service, and one premium package. Canal+ acquired two of the premium packages, which includes all of the showcase matches that are broadcast on Sunday night. Canal+ also acquired a package that allows for streaming
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
of Ligue 1 matches online. Canal's streaming service, Foot Plus, was introduced at the start of the 2008–09 season.
Europe
In other European countries, the availability of Ligue 1 varies. In most countries, the league airs on either TV Arena Sport, Nova Sport, Canal+, or Sport1Sport1
Sport1 is a Dutch premium television service owned by Chellomedia, the European content division of Liberty Global. Sport1 launched together with its sister service Film1 on February 1, 2006 and replaced the Canal+ Netherlands channels. At launch the service consisted of two main channels, six...
. In countries such as Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Ligue 1 airs on sister channels of Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
. In Germany, league airs on Eurosport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
, while in the Baltic States, it airs on Viasat Sport
Viasat Sport
Viasat Sport is the common brand of several sports channels targeting the Nordic, Baltic and Eastern European countries owned by Modern Times Group.Viasat Sport is also the name of one tv-channel in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and the Baltics...
. Ligue 1 is shown on Galaxie Sport in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. On 1 April 2010, the Ligue de Football Professionnel announced that the league had reached a multi-million euro broadcasting agreement with Italian channel Sportitalia
Sportitalia
Sportitalia is an Italian terrestrial and satellite television channel specialized in sports broadcasting 24 hours a day. Sports broadcast include soccer, basketball, tennis, cycling, volley, motoristic sports, rugby, wrestling; informations about other sports is also...
. The channel will broadcast Ligue 1 games for the next two seasons beginning with the 2010–11 season. Sportitalia will show four live matches a week and will also air a weekly highlights show.
Other countries
In countries on the continent of Africa, Ligue 1 matches air on sister channels of Canal+, as well as Supersports, TV5 Monde, RTNC, and MuviTV. In the Americas, Ligue 1 airs on Fox Soccer PlusFox Soccer Plus
Fox Soccer Plus is an American premium channel dedicated to soccer and rugby. It was formed as a spin-off of Fox Soccer when its owner Fox Entertainment Group re-acquired rights from competitor Setanta Sports USA in January 2010, putting the latter channel out of business...
and TV5 Monde in the United States. In Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, pay television channel Sportv
SporTV
SporTV is a Brazilian cable television network that has its programming based on all sports, launched in 1991 by Globosat. It's the most watched sports channel in Brazil.- Auto Racing :*Formula One *Stock Car Brasil...
airs matches from the league, while in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, the league airs on Televisa Deportes Network
Televisa Deportes Network
TDN or Televisa Deportes Network is a channel that specializes in sports. Began broadcasting on July 22, 2009. The signal to Latin America, will be released later...
, as well as TV5Monde with five matches being televised a week, three games live and two on delay. In Asia, matches air on Guangdong TV
Guangdong TV
Guangdong Television is a television network owned by Southern Media Corporation in Guangzhou, Guangdong province in China. Guangdong TV is the oldest television station in Guangdong province, based in Guangzhou, near the Guangzhou TV Station. The station covers Guangdong and Guangxi provinces...
in China. Ligue 1 is shown on J Sports
J Sports
This page is about the J Sports channels, four sports satellite TV channels in Japanese language produced and broadcast by Jupiter Sports.- J Sports 3:*Friday Night Fights*WWE Vintage Collection*New Japan Pro Wrestling*NCAA Basketball...
in Japan. On 8 April 2010, a deal was reached a week later with Hong Kong telecommunications company PCCW
PCCW
PCCW Limited is the holding company of HKT Group Holdings Limited, Hong Kong's premier telecommunications provider in the Information and Communications Technologies industry. PCCW also holds a majority interest in Pacific Century Premium Developments Limited...
who will broadcasts Ligue 1 matches in the region for the next two seasons.
Trophy
The current Ligue 1 trophy, L'Hexagoal, was developed by the Ligue de Football ProfessionnelLigue de Football Professionnel
The Ligue de Football Professionnel , commonly known as the LFP, is a French governing body that runs the major professional football leagues in France. It was founded in 1944 and serves under the authority of the French Football Federation...
and designed and created by Franco
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
artist Pablo Reinoso. The trophy has been awarded to the champion of France since the end of the 2006–07 season, replacing the previous Ligue 1 trophy that had existed for only five years. The name Hexagoal was derived from an official competition created by the LFP and French TV channel TF1
TF1
TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
to determine a name for the new trophy. Over 9,000 proposals were sent it and, on 20 May 2007, French Football Federation
French Football Federation
The French Football Federation is the governing body of association football in France, as well as the overseas departments and territories . It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital Paris...
member Frédéric Thiriez announced that, following an online vote, the term Hexagoal had received half of the votes. The first club to hoist the new trophy was Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
who earned the honour after winning the 2007–08 season.
Monthly and annual
In addition to the winner's Trophy and the individual winner's medal players receive, Ligue 1 also awards the monthly Player of the MonthUNFP Player of the Month
The UNFP Player of the Month trophy is awarded to the best player in the French football championship Ligue 1 by the UNFP, RTL and L'Équipe.A similar award goes to the best player in Ligue 2 and is set up by the UNFP, France Football and Eurosport....
award. Following the season, the UNFP Awards
Trophées UNFP du football
The Trophées UNFP du football are a number of awards given annually by the National Union of Professional Football Players to players playing in French Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, as well as to managers and referees, the most prestigious one being the Player of the Year.Created in 1988 under the name...
are held and awards such as the Player of the Year, Manager of the Year, and Young Player of the Year from both Ligue 1 and Ligue 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
are handed out.
External links
- Official Site
- Collection of French stadiums
- Ligue 1 : presentation – All time table and all results since 1932 with links to entire results and winners, second and third.