World Football Badges News: Algeria - 2014/15 Ligue Professionnelle 1

Thursday 30 October 2014

Algeria - 2014/15 Ligue Professionnelle 1

The Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 (Arabic: الرابطة الجزائرية المحترفة الأولى لكرة القدم‎); known as Championnat National de Première Division or Ligue 1 for short, and formerly known as the Championnat National 1, is the Algerian professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the Algerian football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue Professionnelle 2. The league is contested by 16 clubs, and it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Ligue 2. In 2009 it was known as Championnat d'Algérie D1 Nedjma and from 2010 to 2014, it was known as Ligue Professionnelle 1 Nedjma as it is sponsored by Kuwaiti telecommunications company Nedjma. From 2014, the league is officially known as Ligue Professionnelle 1 Mobilis as it is sponsored by Algerian telecommunications company Mobilis.

The league was created in 1962, when Algeria became an independent nation. Until 1950, only regional leagues (Algiers, Constantine, Oran) were contested. Some 'national' playoffs were played in the first decade of the 20th century, first in 1904. Between 1920 and 1956 the winners played off for the North African Championship, together with league winners from Morocco and Tunisia.

On August 21, 2010, the FAF announced that the name of the league would change to Ligue Professionnelle 1 to reflect the professionalization of the league.

The teams play a double round-robin. The Top 2 qualify to the CAF Champions League, the 3rd place qualifies to tho CAF Confederation Cup, alongside the Algerian Cup winner.
The 2014–15 Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 will be the 51st season of the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 since its establishment in 1962. A total of 16 teams will contest the league, with USM Alger as the defending champions. Following the death of Albert Ebossé Bodjongo, the Algerian Football Federation suspended all football indefinitely. The league resumed on Week 3 starting 12 September 2014, with all matches on that week were preceded with a minute silence in memory of Ebossé.