Ligue 2 formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with both Ligue 1 and the third division Championnat National.
Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 38 games each
totaling 380 games in the season. Most games are played on Fridays and
Mondays, with a few games played during weekday and weekend evenings.
Play is regularly suspended the last weekend before Christmas for two
weeks before returning in the second week of January.
Ligue 2 was founded a year after the creation of the first division in 1933 under the name Division 2
and has served as the second division of French football ever since.
The name lasted until 2002 before switching to its current name. Since
the league is a part of the LFP, it allows clubs who are on the brink of
professionalism to become so. However, if a club suffers relegation to
the Championnat National, its professional status can be revoked
temporarily until they return to Ligue 2. The current champions are AS Monaco who will be returning to Ligue 1 after a two-year stint in Ligue 2.
Ligue 2, alongside its first division counterpart, is generally regarded
as competently run, with good planning of fixtures, complete and
consistently enforced rules, timely resolution of issues, and adequate
escalation procedures of judicial disputes to national or international
institutions.
The
2014–15 Ligue 2 season is the 76th season since its establishment.
There are three promoted teams from Championnat National, replacing the three teams that were promoted to Ligue 1 following the 2013-14 season.
A total of 20 teams currently compete in the league with three clubs
suffering relegation to the thirc division, the National. All clubs that
secured Ligue 2 status for the season were subject to approval by the DNCG before becoming eligible to participate.
On 18 April 2014, Luzenac became the first team to secure a spot in the Ligue 2 following a 1-0 victory over Boulogne-sur-Mer, which gave them an advance on the 4th placed team, Red Star, that couldn't be surpassed in the last games.
By gaining promotion for a professional level for the first time in its history, Luzenac, the club of a village of 600 habitants in Southern France, became the smallest club in the history of professional football in France.
Orléans was the second team to gain promotion to Ligue 2 on 2 May after a 2-0 victory against Paris FC. This marked a return for Orléans in the professional leagues after a twenty-two-years absence.
Gazélec Ajaccio was the third and last team to achieve promotion on 9 May 2014.
This means that for the first time since the 1997–98 season, a Derby of Ajaccio will be contested between Gazélec and AC Ajaccio.
On 20 April, Ajaccio officially suffered relegation from Ligue 1 after a 2-1 defeat in the Derby Corse against archrivals Bastia.
This ended a three-year stint for Ajaccio in Ligue 1. Valenciennes FC were the second team to suffer relegation on 4 May.
On 5 June, Luzenac's promotion was revoked by DNCG for financial reasons, but the club decided to appeal.
Luzenac's promotion was revoked
Teams 2014-15
Troyes champion de Ligue 2
Gazelec Ajaccio and Anger new teams in 2015-16 Ligue 1
Source:
Ligue de Football Professionel
