At its meeting on June 3, the LFP's General Assembly voted 97.28% in favour of a move to 18 clubs in Ligue 1 as of season 2023-2024.
At the end of the 2022-23 season, the change in format will be implemented by having four teams relegated from Ligue 1 to Ligue 2 while only two clubs will be promoted from Ligue 2 to Ligue 1. In order to maintain the number of 20 clubs in Ligue 2, four relegations from Ligue 2 and two promotions from the National (D3) will also take place at the end of the 2022-23 season.
In parallel, Ligue 2 will have to continue assessing a possible move to 18 clubs.
At the end of this transitional phase, i.e. at the end of the 2023-24 season, the modalities of promotions and relegations between the divisions will return to:
- Two relegations + one play-off and two promotions + one play-off between Ligue 1 and Ligue 2.
- Two relegations + one play-off and two promotions + one play-off between Ligue 2 and the National (unless the format for Ligue 2 is changed in the future).
This change of format is a first step in a more global reform of French professional football. In this context, work will begin next season involving all the stakeholders of professional football and in conjunction with the FFF. This work will focus in particular on the staging of matches, the LFP's commercial subsidiary, the modalities of maintaining the professional status in National for more than two seasons, refereeing and the social dialogue (five-year contract, size limit of the workforce, number of loans, DNCG ratios).
Vincent Labrune, LFP President
"This is a very good decision that shows the unity among the stakeholders in French professional football. Above all, it creates the conditions for an ambitious reform plan for the future."
