November 12 – With the imminent downsizing of Ligue 1, the majority of players in Ligue 2 have come out in favour of maintaining the status quo and keeping a league of 20 clubs in the second tier of French football.
While it has already been decided that the 2023/24 season will see Ligue 1 reduce from 20 to 18 clubs, no decision has been taken over the number of clubs that will feature in Ligue 2 in the future.
A survey by the Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionels (UNFP) shows that 71% of Ligue 2 players want to retain 20 clubs in their league, with just 12% favouring an 18-team format. 17% think adding two more clubs would be better.
Auxerre defender Quentin Bernard said: “I was more in favour of a Ligue 2 to 22. I really have trouble hearing that with a Championship at 18, we will recover the money … A simple example: for my club, the ticket office for a match, this represents around €150,000 at the moment. It is not negligible! So this poll is really important. We are the players in our Championship and we have our say. “
Ligue 2 was founded in 1933 and has ever since served as the second tier of French football.
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