Championnat National

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Championnat National
Championnat National.png
Founded1993
CountryFrance
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams18
Level on pyramid3
Promotion toLigue 2
Relegation toChampionnat National 2
Domestic cup(s)Coupe de France
League cup(s)Coupe de la Ligue (selected clubs)
International cup(s)Europa League (via cups)
Current championsSC Bastia
(2020–21)
Most championshipsClermont Foot, Nîmes, Red Star, SC Bastia
(2 titles each)
WebsiteOfficial site
Current: 2021–22 Championnat National

The Championnat de France National (English: French National Championship), commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, serves as the third division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. Contested by 18 clubs, the Championnat National operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Ligue 2 and the Championnat National 2, the fourth division of French football.

Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 34 games each, totalling 306 games in the season. Most games are played on Fridays and Saturdays, with a few games played during weekday evenings. Play is regularly suspended the last weekend before Christmas for two weeks before returning in the second week of January.

The National was founded in 1993 by the French Football Federation and serves as a base league for clubs on the brink of becoming professional or falling to the amateur levels. The league is annually composed of professional, semi-professional, and amateur football clubs. The matches in the league attract on average between 2,500 and 6,000 spectators per match.

Competition format[]

There are 18 clubs in the Championnat National. 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 34 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 2. 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 second division, while the four lowest placed teams are relegated to the Championnat de France Amateur and the four winners of the four groups from the Championnat de France amateur are promoted in their place.

Clubs[]

Members for 2020–21[]

Stadia and locations[]

Championnat National is located in France
Annecy
Annecy
Bastia-Borgo
Bastia-Borgo
Boulogne
Boulogne
Chambly
Chambly
Cholet
Cholet
Laval
Laval
Le Mans
Le Mans
Red Star
Red Star
Stade Briochin
Stade Briochin
Sedan
Sedan
Villefranche
Villefranche
Location of teams in 2021–22 National
Club Location Venue Capacity
Annecy Annecy Parc des Sports 15,660
Avranches Avranches 2,000
Bastia-Borgo Borgo 1,300
Boulogne Boulogne-sur-Mer Stade de la Libération 15,204
Bourg-Péronnas Bourg-en-Bresse Stade Marcel-Verchère 11,400
Chambly Beauvais Stade Pierre Brisson 10,178
Châteauroux Châteauroux Stade Gaston Petit 17,173
Cholet Cholet 9,000
Concarneau Concarneau 6,500
Créteil Créteil Stade Dominique Duvauchelle 12,150
Laval Laval Stade Francis Le Basser 18,607
Le Mans Le Mans MMArena 25,000
Orléans Orléans Stade de la Source 7,000
Red Star Paris (Saint-Ouen) Stade Bauer 10,000
Stade Briochin Saint-Brieuc Fred-Aubert Stadium 10,600
Sedan Sedan Stade Louis Dugauguez 23,189
Sète Sète Stade Louis Michel 8,500
Villefranche Villefranche-sur-Saône 3,200

Championnat National table of honours[]

Season Group A Winner Group B Winner Other promoted teams
En Avant de Guingamp LB Châteauroux Amiens SC and Perpignan FC
FC Lorient SAS Épinal Stade Poitevin and CS Louhans-Cuiseaux
Stade Briochin Sporting Toulon Var Association Troyes AC and AS Beauvais Oise
ES Wasquehal Nîmes Olympique
Season Champions Runner Up Third place
1997–98 AC Ajaccio CS Sedan Ardennes US Créteil-Lusitanos (not promoted)
CS Louhans-Cuiseaux US Créteil-Lusitanos Gazélec Ajaccio (not promoted)
AS Beauvais Oise FC Martigues Angers SCO
Grenoble Foot 38 Amiens SC FC Istres
Clermont Foot Stade de Reims ASOA Valence and Toulouse FC (4 clubs promoted this season)
Besançon Racing Club Angers SCO FC Rouen
Stade de Reims Stade Brestois 29 Dijon FCO
Valenciennes FC ASOA Valence (not promoted due to financial problems) FC Sète 34
Chamois Niortais Tours FC FC Libourne-Saint-Seurin
Clermont Foot (2) US Boulogne Angers SCO
2007–08 Vannes OC Tours FC Nîmes Olympique
2008–09 FC Istres Stade Lavallois AC Arles
2009–10 Evian Thonon Gaillard Stade de Reims ES Troyes AC
2010–11 SC Bastia Amiens SC En Avant de Guingamp
2011–12 Nîmes Olympique (2) Chamois Niortais Gazélec Ajaccio
2012–13 US Créteil-Lusitanos FC Metz CA Bastia
2013–14 US Orléans US Luzenac Gazélec Ajaccio
2014–15 Red Star Paris FC FC Bourg-Péronnas
2015–16 Strasbourg Orléans Amiens
2016–17 Châteauroux Quevilly Paris FC (Promotion Play-Off)
2017–18 Red Star (2) Béziers Grenoble
2018–19 Rodez Chambly Le Mans
2019–20 Pau[a] USL Dunkerque US Boulogne
2020–21 SC Bastia Quevilly-Rouen Villefranche
  1. ^ Championship not awarded due to season being terminated early.[1]

References[]

  1. ^ "FFF : Pas de titre en National, les Lyonnaises championnes" (in French). foot-national.com. 11 May 2020.

External links[]

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