French Ligue 1

The top professional league in France known as Ligue 1 since 2003, previously Première division or Division 1 has been in existence since 1932. It has had a continued existence and competition since then except for the 1943-44 season in which play was suspended due to the war. Currently Ligue 1 has 20 teams and plays a 38 match home and away schedule. This format is similar to most of the other top flight leagues throughout Europe. Currently the relegation promotion system calls for the three bottom teams to be replaced by the three top teams from Ligue 2. This format is new since 1995, when prior to that a playoff was held between two teams for the final Ligue 1 spot. The French Ligue 1, while not among the premier leagues in Europe, has a rich tradition and history all to its own.

Ligue 1 Team History

Unlike many of the European top leagues the French Ligue 1 has had several different teams that have reigned at the top. These teams have come up for a bit, then gone back down, and the league has seen more movement among its top teams then many of the other leagues throughout Europe. If you take a look at the current Olympique Lyonnais, you see a team that has had a complete stranglehold on the top league winning seven championships in a row. However, before that run Olympique Lyonnais had not won a championship, despite being in existence for over a century.

Olympqiue Lyonnais

The team came to be in 1899 when the football section of the club split off and chose a new name. The team had some early success at this time winning the French Championship in 1910. By the mid 1940s the team was probably at its lowest point having been relegated to the second league. It was a long hard battle to the top, but in 1951 they won the league trophy and were promoted back into the first league. This would prove to be short lived however as they were soon sent back down to the second league, but managed to bounce back and get into the top league in 1954. The team had some success in the 60s and 70s, but was relegated back down in 1983. Over the next twenty years the team would work hard to re-establish themselves at a legitimate fist league team. They would achieve this goal and then some having completely dominated the league during the 21st century. They currently have won 7 titles in a row starting in 2002 and extending to 2008.

Saint Etienne Loire

Another team with an interesting history is Saint Etienne Loire, the primary rivals of Olympique Lyonnais. They were founded in 1920 and have had strong performances in the past, but recent history has not been as good to them. They were first promoted to the French First Division in 1937 and twenty years later they claimed their first title. The team had an up and down with successes and failures. A good example of this was in 1962 when they won the French Cup, but were also relegated to the second division. They bounced back and won the First Division trophy. From 1967 to 1970 Saint Etienne won four consecutive trophies winning again in 1974 and 1976. In 1976 the team made it all the way to the European Cup but lost to champion Bayern Munich. However the team could not keep the success up to the present day with their last trophy coming in 1981. A scandal in 1982 sent the club into a tailspin and they have spent much of the last twenty five years in the bottom half of the first division or relegated to the second division. Scandal and controversy continue to plague the team, but as of the 2007-08 season they were once again competing in Ligue 1 and finished in 5th place. They currently still hold the most Ligue 1 championships with 10 and return to prominence could be in the cards.

Nantes

Football Club de Nantes is another Ligue 1 team with and up and down history. They have had some of the greatest successes of any of the Ligue 1 teams and have performed well on the international stage. With several semi finals to their credit this team has had success in the past and is always hopeful for a return to prominence. The football club was founded in 1943 when five different clubs merged to form one stronger club. The team spent much of its early years in the second division but in 1963 they were able to earn a spot in the first league. Following this up they won championships in 1964-65 and 1965-66. The team’s real success however came in the mid seventies and early eighties when they won four championships. This however could not be maintained as the team dipped in the mid eighties and early nineties. They were barely able to hold onto their place in the first division and this was a fairly dismal period for the club. In 1992 however the team made a comeback and by the mid nineties jeu a la nataise had made a full comeback. The up and down continued with several abysmal seasons and a championship in 2001. As is the story with many of the French teams, this team has enjoyed times of great success and terrible failure.

Ligue 1, a dynamic tradition

The history of Ligue 1 is filled with stories of teams that have risen to prominence, fallen back, only to rise once again. This is one thing that makes the competition in the top French League compelling and different from football in much of Europe. With teams continually changing places and becoming dominant there are always exciting matches and exciting seasons. Many of the other leagues throughout Europe can be anti climatic with the same teams being perennial powerhouses. This is not true in Ligue 1 and could be considered its hallmark.