On Friday evening, the National Championship will close its doors with a 34th and final matchday that could bring surprises, especially for two teams from Île-de-France, Fleury (3rd) and Versailles (5th). The former still has a chance to secure a direct ticket to L2 (even though they were aiming for the playoffs), while the latter can still believe in the promotion playoff against Laval for a spot in the L1. Paris 13 Atletico (13th) has already secured their place.
From next season, starting on August 8th, the National will change its name to be called the Ligue 3. This marks the first time the FFF (French Football Federation) will organize a professional men’s championship. The implementation of this project, led by Marc Keller and Baptiste Malherbe, presidents of Strasbourg and Auxerre respectively, is the result of a consultation involving National clubs, FFF executive committee members, FFF services, and LFP services. This competition will bring some innovations in several areas.
The FFF has introduced a new measure in terms of refereeing in France with the “Football Video Support,” allowing each coach to have “two challenges per match to request video assistance on an action covered by the VAR protocol,” including goals, penalties, red cards, and mistaken identity, similar to Ligue 1 and Ligue 2.
Starting from the beginning of August and for the next three seasons, all matches of the 18 clubs will be broadcast on Ligue 1 +, the LFP platform that broadcasts the top division since this season and will continue next season with some changes. The highlight match of each matchday will be on Thursdays at 8:45 pm, while other matches will be simultaneous on Saturdays at 3 pm. “The premium match will be broadcast with five cameras,” said Marc Keller. It will kick off the Ligue 1 + weekend before a multiplex on Saturdays.
In order to further increase the visibility of the championship, eight special events called “shifted” will be scheduled at the beginning and end of the season, as well as during international breaks, allowing Ligue 3 to have weekends without competition from Ligue 1 and Ligue 2.
The FFF is implementing a new unprecedented financial support system. The budget dedicated to Ligue 3 will increase to 12.3 million euros, with 70% redistributed directly to clubs. The maximum amount of aid per club can reach 450,000 euros, with additional support for clubs relegated from Ligue 3 to National 1.
The top two teams at the end of the 34 matchdays will be promoted directly to Ligue 2. Instead of assigning the third-place team to the promotion playoffs for L2, teams placed between 3rd and 6th will compete in playoff matches to determine the club that will challenge the 16th Ligue 2 team in a promotion-relegation playoff (home and away) in an attempt to get promoted. The bottom three clubs will be relegated to National 1. A new trophy, called the “Trophée de France,” will be awarded to the winner.
The new professional Ligue 3 has pleased the Île-de-France leaders. “This is a major step forward for French football, a unique opportunity to structure clubs and gain visibility through broadcasting on Ligue 1 + to move towards professionalism,” said Frédéric Pereira, president of Paris 13 Atletico. “We will also be able to showcase our territory. For us, who have risen from the district’s first division, we are a popular club, rooted in a popular neighborhood, it’s wonderful. But it will push us to raise our level of demand.”
From the FC Versailles side, there is also positivity about this new championship. “It’s obviously great news because it confirms the professionalization of the National,” said Alexandre Mulliez, the club’s leader. “It’s a league full of talent with executives who are dedicated to their club, and it’s a good thing that we are given a real boost with better visibility and more financial benefits. Even if it will disrupt some habits, especially regarding match scheduling, it’s an opportunity that we must appreciate.”
