Ligue 2

Ligue 2 (French pronunciation: ​[liɡ dø], League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsorship by Balkrishna Industries, 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 (LFP), the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with both Ligue 1 and the third division Championnat National. Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 38 games each totalling 380 games in the season. Most games are played on Fridays and Mondays, with a few games played during weekday and weekend evenings. Play is regularly suspended the last weekend before Christmas for two weeks before returning in the second week of January.

Ligue 2

Founded	1933
Country	France
Confederation	UEFA
Number of teams	18
Level on pyramid	2
Promotion to	Ligue 1
Relegation to	Championnat National
Domestic cup(s)	Coupe de France
International cup(s)	Europa League (via cups)
Current champions	Lorient (1st title) (2019–20)
Most championships	Le Havre Nancy (5 titles each)
TV partners	beIN Sports Téléfoot
Website	Ligue2.fr (in French)
2020–21 Ligue 2

The Ligue 2 trophy

Ligue 2 was founded a year after the creation of the first division in 1933 under the name Division 2 and has served as the second division of French football ever since. The name lasted until 2002 before switching to its current name. Since the league is a part of the LFP, it allows clubs who are on the brink of professionalism to become so. However, if a club suffers relegation to the Championnat National, its professional status can be revoked temporarily until they return to Ligue 2.

History

The second division of French football was established in 1933, one year after the creation of the all-professional first division. The inaugural season of the competition consisted of the six clubs who were relegated following the 1932–33 National season, as well as many of the clubs who opposed the creation of the first division the previous season. Clubs such as Strasbourg, RC Roubaix, and Amiens SC all played in the second division's debut season despite having prior grievances with the subjective criteria needed to become professional and play in the first division. The first year of the second division consisted of twenty-three clubs and were divided into two groups (Nord and Sud). Fourteen of the clubs were inserted into the Nord section, while the remaining nine were placed in Sud. Following the season, the winner of each group faced each other to determine which club would earn promotion. On 20 May 1934, the winner of the Nord group, Red Star Saint-Ouen, faced Olympique Alès, the winner of the Sud group. Red Star were crowned the league's inaugural champions following a 3–2 victory. Despite losing, Alès was also promoted to the first division and they were followed by Strasbourg and Mulhouse, who each won a pool championship, after the first division agreed to expand its teams to 16.

Division 2 champions (Pre-WWII)

Season	Winner
1933–34	Red Star Saint-Ouen
1934–35	CS Metz
1935–36	Rouen
1936–37	Lens
1937–38	Le Havre
1938–39	Red Star Saint-Ouen
Further information: French second division champions

Due to several clubs merging, folding, or losing their professional status, the federation turned the second division into a 16-team league and adopted the single-table method for the 1934–35 season. Due to the unpredictable nature of French football clubs, the following season, the league increased to 19 clubs and, two years later, increased its allotment to 25 teams with the clubs being divided into four groups. Because of World War II, football was suspended by the French government and the Ligue de Football Professionnel. Following the end of the war, the second division developed stability. Due to the increase in amateur clubs, the league intertwined professional and amateur clubs and allowed the latter to become professional if they met certain benchmarks. In 2002, the league changed its name from Division 2 to Ligue 2.

In November 2014, the presidents of Caen and Nîmes were amongst several arrested on suspicion of match fixing. The arrests followed a 1–1 draw between Caen and Nîmes in May 2014, a result very beneficial for each club.[1][2]

Competition format

There are 20 clubs in Ligue 2. 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. 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 and promoted to Ligue 1. 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 or for relegation, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank. The second and third-place finisher are also promoted to the first division, while the three lowest placed teams are relegated to the Championnat National and the top three teams from National are promoted in their place. While a decision was originally made that during the season 2015-2016 only the best two teams would be promoted to Ligue 1 and the last two teams would be relegated to the National,[3] that decision was later overturned by an appeal to the Conseil d'État[4] and the French Football Federation.[5][6]

Ligue 2 members (2020–21 season)

Ajaccio

Auxerre

Caen

Chambly

Châteauroux

Clermont

Dunkerque

Grenoble

Guingamp

Le Havre

Nancy

Niort

Paris FC

Pau

Rodez

Sochaux

Troyes

Valenciennes

Location of teams in 2020–21 Ligue 2

Club	Location	Venue	Capacity
Ajaccio	Ajaccio	Stade François Coty	10,446
AJ Auxerre	Auxerre	Stade Abbé-Deschamps	21,378
Chambly	Chambly	Stade des Marais[lower-alpha 1]	3,000
Caen	Caen	Stade Michel d'Ornano	21,215
Châteauroux	Châteauroux	Stade Gaston Petit	17,173
Clermont	Clermont-Ferrand	Stade Gabriel Montpied	11,980
Dunkerque	Dunkerque	Stade Marcel Tribut	4,200
Grenoble	Grenoble	Stade des Alpes	18,378
Guingamp	Guingamp	Stade du Roudourou	18,378
Le Havre	Le Havre	Stade Océane	20,000
Nancy	Nancy	Stade Marcel Picot	20,087
Niort	Niort	Stade René Gaillard	10,886
Paris	Paris	Stade Charléty	20,000
Pau	Pau	Stade du Hameau	18,324
Rodez	Rodez	Stade Paul-Lignon	5,955
Sochaux	Montbéliard	Stade Auguste Bonal	20,000
Troyes	Troyes	Stade de l'Aube	20,420
Valenciennes	Valenciennes	Stade du Hainaut	25,172

Previous winners

Main article: List of French second division champions

Club	Winners	Runners-up	Winning years	Runner-up years
Le Havre	5	1	1937–38, 1958–59, 1984–85, 1990–91, 2007–08	1949–50
Nancy	5	1	1974–75, 1989–90, 1997–98, 2004–05, 2015–16	1969–70
Lens	4	2	1936–37, 1948–49, 1972–73, 2008–09	2013–14, 2019–20
Nice	4	1	1947–48, 1964–65, 1969–70, 1993–94	1984–85
Lille	4	1	1963–64, 1973–74, 1977–78, 1999–2000	1970–71
Metz	4	3	1934–35, 2006–07, 2013–14, 2018–19	1950–51, 1960–61, 1966–67
Montpellier	3	3	1945–46, 1960–61, 1986–87	1951–52, 1980–81, 2008–09
Saint-Étienne	3	3	1962–63, 1998–99, 2003–04	1933–34, 1937–38, 1985–86
Strasbourg	3	2	1976–77, 1987–88, 2016–17	1971–72, 2001–02
Lyon	3	–	1950–51, 1953–54, 1988–89
Rennes	2	5	1955–56, 1982–83	1938–39, 1957–58, 1975–76, 1989–90, 1993–94
Valenciennes	2	5	1971–72, 2005–06	1934–35, 1936–37, 1961–62, 1974–75, 1991–92
Red Star	2	3	1933–34, 1938–39	1954–55, 1964–65, 1973–74
Angers	2	3	1968–69, 1975–76	1955–56, 1977–78, 1992–93
Sochaux	2	2	1946–47, 2000–01	1963–64, 1987–88
Caen	2	2	1995–96, 2009–10	2003–04, 2006–07
Alès	2	1	1933–34, 1956–57	1946–47
FC Nancy	2	1	1945–46, 1957–58	1959–60
Reims	2	1	1965–66, 2017–18	2011–12
Ajaccio	2	1	1966–67, 2001–02	2010–11
Toulouse	2	1	1981–82, 2002–03	1996–97
Grenoble	2	–	1959–60, 1961–62
Bastia	2	–	1967–68, 2011–12
Nîmes	1	3	1949–50	1967–68, 1990–91, 2017–18
Sedan	1	3	1954–55	1971–72, 1998–99, 2005–06
Brest	1	3	1980–81	1978–79, 2009–10, 2018–19
Marseille	1	3	1994–95	1965–66, 1983–84, 1995–96
Monaco	1	3	2012–13	1952–53, 1970–71, 1976–77
Rouen	1	2	1935–36	1933–34, 1981–82
Stade Français	1	2	1951–52	1945–46, 1958–59
Troyes	1	2	2014–15	1953–54, 1972–73
Lorient	1	2	2019–20	1997–98, 2000–01
Toulouse (1937)	1	1	1952–53	1945–46
Tours	1	1	1983–84	1979–80
Bordeaux	1	1	1991–92	1948–49
Paris Saint-Germain	1	–	1970–71
Gueugnon	1	–	1978–79
Auxerre	1	–	1979–80
RCF Paris	1	–	1985–86
Martigues	1	–	1992–93
Châteauroux	1	–	1996–97
Evian	1	–	2010–11

Notes:

• AS Nancy is not the successor to FC Nancy.
• Toulouse FC is not the successor to Toulouse FC (1937).

Top goalscorers

Season	Goals	Top Scorer(s)	Club(s)
1933–34	54 goals	Jean Nicolas	FC Rouen
1934–35	30 goals	Jean Nicolas	FC Rouen
1935–36	45 goals	Jean Nicolas	FC Rouen
1936–37	30 goals	Viktor Spechtl	RC Lens
1937–38	29 goals	Hugo Lammana	CA Paris
1938–39	39 goals	Harold Newell & Planques	US Boulogne & Toulouse FC (1937)
1939–45	World War II
1945–46	27 goals	Campiglia	SCO Angers
1946–47	45 goals	Jozef "Pépé" Humpal	FC Sochaux
1947–48	28 goals	Henri Arnaudeau	Girondins de Bordeaux
1948–49	41 goals	Camille Libar	Girondins de Bordeaux
1949–50	27 goals	Edmund Haan	Nîmes Olympique
1950–51	23 goals	Thadée Cisowski	FC Metz
1951–52	34 goals	Egon Jonsson	Stade Français football
1952–53	27 goals	Bror Mellberg	Toulouse FC (1937)
1953–54	36 goals	Jean Courteaux	RC Paris
1954–55	40 goals	Petrus Van Rhijn	Valenciennes Football Club
1955–56	32 goals	Petrus Van Rhijn	Valenciennes Football Club
1956–57	27 goals	Fernand Devlaeminck	Lille OSC
1957–58	29 goals	Egon Jonsson	FC Nancy
1958–59	31 goals	Petrus Van Rhijn	Stade Français football
1959–60	29 goals	Corbel	FC Rouen
1960–61	28 goals	Casimir Kozakiewicz	RC Strasbourg
1961–62	21 goals	Serge Masnaghetti	Valenciennes Football Club
1962–63	24 goals	Ernesto Gianella	AS Béziers (football)
1963–64	21 goals	Abderrahmane Soukhane	Le Havre AC
1964–65	22 goals	Anton Groschulski	Red Star Saint-Ouen
1965–66	30 goals	Pierre Ferrazzi	Grenoble Foot 38
1966–67	23 goals	Etienne Sansonetti	SC Bastia
1967–68	26 goals	Jacques Bonnet	Avignon Football 84
1968–69	55 goals	Gérard Grizetti	AS Angoulême
1969–70	21 goals	Robert Blanc	FC Nancy
1970–71	20 goals 20 goals 20 goals	Nord: Yves Triantafyllos Centre: Robert Blanc Sud: Emmanuel Koum	US Boulogne Limoges Foot 87 AS Monaco
1971–72	20 goals 28 goals 40 goals	Gr. A: Pierre Pleimelding Gr. B: Yegba Maya Joseph Gr. C: Marc Molitor	Troyes AC Valenciennes Football Club RC Strasbourg
1972–73	22 goals 31 goals	Gr. A: Eugeniusz Faber Gr. B: Gérard Tonnel	RC Lens Troyes AC
1973–74	26 goals 24 goals	Gr. A: Erwin Wilczek Gr. B: Nestor Combin	Valenciennes Football Club Red Star Saint-Ouen
1974–75	25 goals 28 goals	Gr. A: Georges Tripp Gr. B: Jean Martinez	Stade Laval AS Nancy
1975–76	22 goals 25 goals	Gr. A: Boško Antić Gr. B: Marc Berdoll	SM Caen SCO Angers
1976–77	30 goals 24 goals	Gr. A: Delio Onnis Gr. B: Albert Gemmrich	AS Monaco RC Strasbourg
1977–78	19 goals 23 goals	Gr. A: Giudicelli Gr. B: Jean-Claude Garnier Gr. B: Pierre-Antoine Dossevi	Olympique Alès USL Dunkerque Tours FC
1978–79	24 goals 26 goals	Gr. A: Antoine Trivino Gr. B: Patrice Martet	FC Gueugnon Stade Brestois
1979–80	16 goals 19 goals	Gr. A: Alain Polaniok Gr. A: Bernard Ferrigno Gr. B: Jacky Vergnes Gr. B: Robert Pintenat	Stade de Reims Tours FC Montpellier HSC Toulouse FC
1980–81	32 goals 22 goals	Gr. A: Robert Pintenat Gr. B: Marcel Campagnac	Toulouse FC Sporting Club Abbeville
1981–82	18 goals 25 goals	Gr. A: Marc Pascal Gr. B: Zarko Olaveric Gr. B: Isiaka Ouattara	Olympique de Marseille Le Havre AC FC Mulhouse
1982–83	28 goals 18 goals	Gr. A: Wlodzimierz Lubanski Gr. B: Christian Dalger	Valenciennes Football Club Sporting Toulon Var
1983–84	23 goals 23 goals	Gr. A: Mario Relmy Gr. B: Omar Da Fonseca	Limoges Foot 87 Tours FC
1984–85	27 goals 28 goals	Gr. A: John Eriksen Gr. B: Jorge Dominguez	FC Mulhouse OGC Nice
1985–86	22 goals 29 goals	Gr. A: Jean-Marc Valadier Gr. B: Eugene N'Goy Kabongo	Montpellier HSC RC Paris
1986–87	22 goals 21 goals	Gr. A: Zvonko Kurbos Gr. B: Gaspard N'Gouete	FC Mulhouse SC Bastia
1987–88	18 goals   26 goals	Gr. A: Jean-Pierre Orts Gr. A: Stéphane Paille Gr. B: Patrice Martet	Olympique Lyonnais FC Sochaux FC Rouen
1988–89	22 goals 27 goals	Gr. A: Roberto Cabanas Gr. B: Robby Langers	Stade Brestois US Orléans
1989–90	26 goals 21 goals	Gr. A: Didier Monczuk Gr. B: Jean-Pierre Orts	RC Strasbourg FC Rouen
1990–91	23 goals 19 goals	Gr. A: Didier Monczuk Gr. B: Christophe Lagrange	RC Strasbourg SCO Angers
1991–92	22 goals 21 goals	Gr. A: Jean-Pierre Orts Gr. B: Didier Monczuk	FC Rouen RC Strasbourg
1992–93	21 goals 18 goals	Gr. A: Franck Priou Gr. B: Jean-Pierre Orts	AS Cannes FC Rouen
1993–94	27 goals	Yannick Le Saux	Stade Briochin
1994–95	31 goals	Tony Cascarino	Olympique Marseille
1995–96	30 goals	Tony Cascarino	Olympique Marseille
1996–97	23 goals	Samuel Michel	FC Sochaux
1997–98	20 goals	Reginald Ray	Le Mans Union Club 72
1998–99	20 goals	Hamed Diallo	Stade Laval
1999–2000	17 goals	Amara Traoré	FC Gueugnon
2000–01	21 goals	Francileudo Santos	FC Sochaux
2001–02	18 goals	Hamed Diallo	Amiens SC
2002–03	20 goals	Cédric Fauré	Toulouse FC
2003–04	17 goals	David Suarez	Amiens SC
2004–05	24 goals	Bakari Koné	FC Lorient
2005–06	16 goals	Jean-Michel Lesage & Steve Savidan	Le Havre AC & Valenciennes Football Club
2006–07	18 goals	Jean-Michel Lesage & Kandia Traore	Le Havre AC & Le Havre AC
2007–08	28 goals	Guillaume Hoarau	Le Havre AC
2008–09	18 goals	Grégory Thil	US Boulogne
2009–10	21 goals	Olivier Giroud	Tours FC
2010–11	23 goals	Sebastián Ribas	Dijon FCO
2011–12	15 goals	Cédric Fauré	Reims
2012–13	23 goals	Mustapha Yatabaré	EA Guingamp
2013–14	23 goals	Andy Delort & Mathieu Duhamel	Tours FC & SM Caen
2014–15	18 goals	Mickaël Le Bihan	Le Havre AC
2015–16	21 goals	Famara Diedhiou	Clermont Foot
2016–17	23 goals	Adama Niane	ESTAC Troyes
2017–18	24 goals	Umut Bozok	Nîmes
2018–19	27 goals	Gaëtan Charbonnier	Brest
2019–20	20 goals	Tino Kadewere	Le Havre

Records

• 11 minutes: the time it took Sebastian Ribas (Dijon FCO, 2010–11 season) to score the fastest hat trick in the history of Ligue 2.
• 5 times: the number of times Le Havre AC won the second division championship.
• Number of points won by a team in a single season, without achieving promotion to Ligue 1:

77 points (1994–95 season) or 1.833 points per game (42 games) for Toulouse FC.

72 points (1995–96 season, 22 teams involved): or 1.71 points per game for Stade Lavallois.

69 points (2006–07 season, 20 teams involved): or 1.82 points per game for Amiens SC.

• 128 goals: The number of goals scored in 40 games ( a single season) by SCO Angers in 40 games, (1968–69 season).
• 55 goals: the number of goals scored in a season by Gerard Grizzetti, forward playing for AS Angoulême (1969).
• 41 seasons: Number of seasons played by the RCFC Besançon and AS Cannes.
• The fastest goal in the history of Ligue 2 was marked on 26 September 2009 by Rémi Maréval against Nîmes Olympique. After eight seconds of play, the ball crossed the goal line of Nicolas Puydebois.

Broadcaster

Broadcaster	Duration
beIN Sports	2012–13 → 2023–24
Eurosport	2008–09 → 2011–12
Numericable	2008–09 → 2009–10
Téléfoot	2020–21 → 2023–24

Sponsorship names

• Ligue 2 Domino's Pizza (2016–2020)
• Ligue 2 BKT (2020–present)

Notes

1. The upgrade work on Stade des Marais is due for completion by September 2020, and Chambly hope to be able to play their 2020–21 Ligue 2 fixtures at the new ground.[7]

References

1. "Marseille arrests and match-fixing probe rock French football". France 24. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
2. "Presidents of two French clubs arrested on match-fixing suspicions". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
3. "Ligue 1 reduces relegation spots from three to two from next season". Espnfc.com. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
4. "Ligue 1 relegation places stay at three, uncertainty continues". Espnfc.com. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
5. "Le référé de la LFP rejeté". Le Figaro.fr (in French). 14 August 2015.
6. "Ligue 1/Ligue 2 : il y aura bien trois rélégations/promotions". Leparisian.fr. 3 February 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
7. "Chambly - Pas de Livraison Avant "Fin Août ou Début Septembre" pour le Nouveau Stade" (in French). maligue2.fr. 30 April 2020.

External links

• Official website (in French)
• Ligue1.com/ligue2 (official website) at the Wayback Machine (archived 29 August 2019^{[Date mismatch]}) (in English)
• League321.com – French football league tables, records & statistics database.