Ligue 1

Ligue 1 is the French football league's top division, previously known as Division 1 and sometimes referred to as Le Championnat. 

It currently consists of 20 clubs competing in the division. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2. Ligue 1operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Ligue 2. Seasons run from August to May, with each team playing 38 games throughout the season. 

At the end of each season, the top three teams in Ligue 1 qualify for the Champions League, with the top two directly qualifying for the group phase, and the third-placed team entering in the third qualifying round. The team finishing fourth in Ligue 1 qualifies for the UEFA Europa League, with the other two Europa League places handed out to French clubs through the country's two domestic cup competitions, the Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue. 

Ligue 1 was first formed on 11th September 1932 under the name National before switching to Division 1 at the end of the competition's first year. That name lasted until 2002 before changing to its current format, Ligue 1. The league has faced three significant corruption scandals in its history, starting with Antibes in 1933, before Red Star in the 1950s, and most recently with Marseille in 1993. Significant penalties were handed out to the clubs involved, including relegation from the league.

The majority of league games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with a few games played during weekday evenings. From the last week before Christmas to the second week in January, the league takes a winter break. Currently ranked sixth in Europe, La Liga sits behind the Spanish La Liga, English Premier League, the German Bundesliga, the Italian Serie A and the Portuguese Primeira Liga, although that could change over the next few years with the amount of financial power held by clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco.

The current champions are Paris Saint-Germain, who won the third title in their history in the 2012-2013 season. Saint Etienne have won the most league titles in French football history, winning the top division on ten occasions between 1957 and 1981, with Marseille second with their nine titles. Lyon have been the most successful club in Ligue 1's recent history, winning seven straight titles between 2002 and 2008. 

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