Football

History of French Ligue 2

Ligue 2 is the second tier league in the French football system. It is one of the divisions of the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), while the other is Ligue 1. Ligue 2 was founded in 1933, a year after the establishment of Ligue 1 and is held every year since then. These two leagues enjoy top rankings in the European national football leagues. Ligue 2 is formally known as Ligue 2 Orange, named after the event sponsor, Orange, a French mobile phone company. The play was suspended from 1939 to 1945 due to World War II. The LFP resumed the sport in 1946. This soccer event usually starts in July and winds up in May the following year.

Ligue 2 comprises of twenty clubs and each club plays the other twice, once at home and once away, which amounts to a total of thirty eight matches. Each season ends with the promotion of the top three clubs to Ligue 1 and the relegation of the bottom three clubs to to Championnat National, which is the third highest division in French football. Consequently, the top three teams from Championnat National are promoted to Ligue 2. The bottom three clubs of Ligue 1 also joins the clubs in Ligue 2. This particular relegation and promotion format came into play in 1995.

A few of the successful clubs in this division are Nice, Lens, Lyon and St Etienne. Nice has won the Ligue 2 title four times. In the 2008-09 season of Ligue 2, RC Lens emerged the champion with sixty-eight points. Gregory Thil of US Boulogne was the top goal scorer of this season with eighteen goals, and he was the recipient of the Ligue 2 Trophée du Meilleur Buteur. Eight hundred and sixty four goals were scored in this season. Together with Lens, Montpellier and Boulogne were the other two clubs promoted to Ligue 1. Amiens, Reims and Troyes were relegated to Championnat National.

Recent Ligue 2 Season(s)

The 2009-10 season of Ligue 2 will commence on August 7, 2009. Puma, the German Sportswear company has signed up as the official provider of match balls. The relegated teams from Ligue 1, Caen, Nantes and Le Havre will try to climb their way back to the top division. Who will win the Ligue 2 title this season? Start betting now!