Professional football didn’t exist in France until 1930, when the French Football Federation finally voted for French football professionalizing. The 1stLigue 1 took place in 1932. 20 clubs, participating in it, had to meet several requirements: the club had to demonstrate successful results previously, bring profits and own at least 8 professional footballers. Many clubs refused to take part then, but the majority of the south of France teams (“Marseille”, “Montpellier” and others) endorsed the initiative and obtained the status of professional clubs.
The French football leagues system includes 12 levels, but only 2 of them enclose professional clubs: Ligue 1 (20 clubs), Ligue 2 (20 clubs), the National championship (5 professional and 15 semi-professional teams).
At the moment Ligue 1 includes 20 clubs. The championship had been called “Division 1” until 2002. All in all teams play 38 matches. The championship is organized according to the “autumn-spring” system. On the completion of the season 3 last teams (18th, 19th and 20th places) drop out to Ligue 2, being replaced by its three best clubs.
The most award-winning club in France is “Saint-Étienne”, having 10 country championship titles. However, the last one the club won in 1981. The current generation leaders are “PSG” and “Lyon”.
The best scorer in the entire history of Ligue 1 is Delio Onnis (“Monaco”, from 1971 to 1986) – 299 goals.
The longest winning streak belongs to “Bordeaux”, 14 matches in a row in 2009.
Record on scored points belongs to “PSG”, the club from Paris scored 89 points in the 2013/14 season.
The biggest number of goals per season adheres to “Racing Paris” – 118 goals, the 1959/60 season).
The longest series without defeats is demonstrated by “Nantes” – 32 matches (from July 29, 1994 to April 15, 1995).
The greatest victory is “Sochaux” 12 – 1 “Valenciennes” (the 1935/36 season).
“Lyon” may boast of the largest champion series – 7 wins of the championship in succession (from the 2001/02 season to the 2007/08 season).
