French Ligue 1
Ligue 1 is the professional football league, the top division of the French football league system. There are 20 clubs participating in this competition. After each season, the clubs in the last three places are eliminated in Ligue 2, and their places are occupied by the three strongest teams in Ligue 2.
The first French championship was held in the 1932/33 season and was called the “National Championship”, from 1933 to 2002 it was called “Division 1”, and in 2002 this tournament was renamed “Ligue 1”. Ligue 1 matches take place from August to May. Clubs play in a round robin system, playing two games with each team, which is why all clubs participate in 38 matches in one season. Most of the games are played on Saturdays and Sundays. On the last weekend before Christmas, Ligue 1 regularly suspends matches for two weeks. The French championship is ranked fifth in the UEFA coefficient table, above Ligue 1 are the championships of Germany, Italy, Spain and England (as of 2021).
Saint-Étienne is the most titled club in the history of the top football division in France, with 10 league victories. Olympique Lyonnais have won the most league titles in a row - seven (between 2002 and 2008). Marseille have played 71 seasons in total in the French championship, a record, while Paris Saint-Germain have not retired to Ligue 2 for 47 consecutive seasons (1974 to present). The reigning champion of Ligue 1 is Lille, who won this tournament in the 2020/21 season.
