Ligue 1 was established in 1932 to infuse professionalism in French football. Although Ligue 1 isn’t a big brand as compared to other leagues like the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A, or German Bundesliga, the French league is attracting a wider fan base than before in the last 10 years or so.
In this piece, we explain the format of Ligue 1 in detail.
Organisation of Ligue 1
The competition comprises 18 teams that begins in the month of August during a calendar year and ends in May the following year.
Every team faces the other team on a home and away basis, giving an equal opportunity to all teams to play in home conditions. The entire season consists of 34 match days.
Promotion and Relegation System in Ligue 1
During the 2015-16 season, two teams from Ligue 2 were to be promoted and two teams from Ligue 1 were to be relegated, but later on, it was decided to promote three teams and relegate three teams.
During the 2016-17 season, it was decided that the playoff game for relegation should be between the 18th-ranked team of Ligue 1 and the third-placed team of Ligue 2, which would be decided in two legs with the Ligue 2 team hosting the first match.
Before 1995, there was relegation of the bottom-ranked two teams and a play-off match between the third-last team of the first division and the winner of the second division.
In 2021, LFP in its general assembly insisted on inducting 18 clubs in Ligue 1 for the 2023-24 season and relegating four to the second division while promoting two from the second division.
Points System in Ligue 1
The points system in Ligue 1 is similar to other European leagues, where three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a defeat.
The team that notches up the highest number of points at the end of the season wins the Ligue 1 championships. If points are equal, then goal difference and goals scored are taken into consideration.
Qualification for European Championships
According to the 2023-24 directive of UEFA, the top three teams of Ligue 1 qualify for the Champions League directly, while the fourth-placed team enters into the third phase of the qualifying round.
The team that has finished in the fifth position qualifies for the UEFA Europa League, while the team in the 6th position qualifies for the UEFA Conference League. The final place for the Europa League is determined through the Coupe de France, which is a French domestic tournament.
If the winner for Europe is determined through its position in the league, the team that is in the seventh position in the Ligue 1 table will qualify for the Conference League.
Suppose France is amongst the top two countries to get the most coefficient points from just a single season, an extra spot would be awarded to the fourth-placed team in the Champions League. The third-placed qualifying spot for the Champions League as well as the other spots would be pushed back by one position.
Conclusion
Despite not attracting popularity like other European leagues, Ligue 1 is slowly gaining viewership. Although more attractive signings are needed in terms of players, that could be possible only through investment in large numbers, which is low as compared to other leagues. This can attract big sponsors that can ultimately make the league more competitive and generate more viewership.
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