Country | France (19 teams) |
---|---|
Other club(s) from | Monaco (1 team) |
Confederation | UEFA |
Founded | 1932 officially 2002 as Ligue 1 |
Number of teams | 20 (from 2002–03) |
Level on pyramid | 1 |
Relegation to | Ligue 2 |
Domestic cup(s) |
Coupe de France Trophée des champions |
League cup(s) | Coupe de la Ligue |
International cup(s) |
UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League |
Current champions |
Paris Saint-Germain (6th title) (2015–16) |
Most championships | Saint-Étienne (10 titles) |
TV partners |
beIN Sports Canal + |
Website | ligue1.com |
2016–17 Ligue 1 |
Ligue 1 (French pronunciation: [liɡ œ̃]), is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Administrated by the Ligue de Football Professionnel, Ligue 1 is contested by 20 clubs and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Ligue 2.
Seasons run from August to May. Teams play 38 matches each (playing each team in the league twice, home and away), totaling 380 matches 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 Spain's La Liga, England's Premier League, Germany's Bundesliga and Italy's Serie A.
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. AS Saint-Étienne is the most successful club with ten league titles in France while Olympique Lyon is the club that has won the most consecutive titles (seven between 2002 and 2008). With the presence of 67 seasons in Ligue 1, Olympique de Marseille hold the record for most seasons among the elite, while FC Nantes holds the League record for longevity with 44 consecutive seasons (1963–2007). The current champions are Paris Saint-Germain, who won their sixth title in the 2015–16 season.