Championnat National facts for kids
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| Organising body | FFF |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1993 |
| Country | France |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of teams | 18 |
| Level on pyramid | 3 |
| Promotion to | Ligue 2 |
| Relegation to | Championnat National 2 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Coupe de France |
| International cup(s) | Europa League (via cups) |
| Current champions | Red Star (3rd title) (2023–24) |
| Most championships | Red Star (3 titles) |
| TV partners | Canal+ Sport |
| Website | Official site: http://national.fff.fr |
The Championnat National (English: French National Championship), commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, is 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 served 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 and semi-professional clubs or amateur clubs. The matches in the league attract on average between 2,500 and 6,000 spectators per match.
Contents
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 head-to-head 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 first and second place finisher are also promoted to the second division, while the six lowest placed teams are relegated to the Championnat National 2 and the four winners of the four groups from Championnat National 2 are promoted in their place until 2023–24 season.
Current clubs
For the 2023–24 season.
Stadia and locations
| Club | Location | Venue | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avranches | Avranches | Stade René Fenouillère | 2,000 |
| Châteauroux | Châteauroux | Stade Gaston Petit | 17,173 |
| Cholet | Cholet | Stade Pierre Blouen | 9,000 |
| Dijon | Dijon | Stade Gaston Gérard | 15,995 |
| Épinal | Épinal | Stade de la Colombière | 8,000 |
| GOAL FC | Chasselay | Stade Ludovic Giuly | 600 |
| Le Mans | Le Mans | MMArena | 25,000 |
| Marignane GCB | Marignane | Stade Saint-Exupéry | 1,500 |
| Martigues | Martigues | Stade Francis Turcan | 8,290 |
| Nancy | Nancy | Stade Marcel Picot | 20,087 |
| Nîmes | Nîmes | Stade des Costières | 18,482 |
| Niort | Niort | Stade René Gaillard | 10,886 |
| Orléans | Orléans | Stade de la Source | 7,000 |
| Red Star | Paris (Saint-Ouen) | Stade Bauer | 10,000 |
| Rouen | Rouen | Stade Robert Diochon | 12,108 |
| Sochaux | Montbéliard | Stade Auguste Bonal | 20,005 |
| Versailles | Paris (Paris 16) | Stade Jean-Bouin | 19,904 |
| Villefranche | Villefranche-sur-Saône | Stade Armand Chouffet | 3,500 |
Championnat National table of honours
| Season | Group A Winner | Group B Winner | Other promoted teams |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | En Avant de Guingamp | LB Châteauroux | Amiens SC and Perpignan FC |
| 1994–95 | FC Lorient | SAS Épinal | Stade Poitevin and CS Louhans-Cuiseaux |
| 1995–96 | Stade Briochin | Sporting Toulon Var | Association Troyes AC and AS Beauvais Oise |
| 1996–97 | ES Wasquehal | Nîmes Olympique | |
| Season | Champions | Runner Up | Third place |
| 1997–98 | AC Ajaccio | CS Sedan Ardennes | US Créteil-Lusitanos (not promoted) |
| 1998–99 | CS Louhans-Cuiseaux | US Créteil-Lusitanos | Gazélec Ajaccio (not promoted) |
| 1999–2000 | AS Beauvais Oise | FC Martigues | Angers SCO |
| 2000–01 | Grenoble Foot 38 | Amiens SC | FC Istres |
| 2001–02 | Clermont Foot | Stade de Reims | ASOA Valence and Toulouse FC (4 clubs promoted this season) |
| 2002–03 | Besançon Racing Club | Angers SCO | FC Rouen |
| 2003–04 | Stade de Reims | Stade Brestois 29 | Dijon FCO |
| 2004–05 | Valenciennes FC | ASOA Valence (not promoted due to financial problems) | FC Sète 34 |
| 2005–06 | Chamois Niortais | Tours FC | FC Libourne-Saint-Seurin |
| 2006–07 | 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 | USL Dunkerque | US Boulogne |
| 2020–21 | SC Bastia (2) | Quevilly-Rouen | Villefranche |
| 2021–22 | Laval | Annecy | Villefranche |
| 2022–23 | Concarneau | Dunkerque | Red Star |
| 2023–24 | Red Star (3) | Martigues | Chamois Niortais |
| 2024–25 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
See also
In Spanish: Championnat National para niños
