According to the League, the leaders of the forty professional clubs of L1, L2 and National, as well as the representatives of the "families" (players, coaches, referees ...), meeting in general assembly, voted at 78.34% in favor of the reform, which was however rejected by the UNFP, the main union of professional players.
The format change will be made by 4 descents and 2 climbs between Ligue 2 and National at the end of the 2023-2024 season.
This development was hardly in doubt, in the wake of the green light given in early June by the GA of the LFP to a similar reduction in Ligue 1, from twenty to eighteen clubs, at the end of the 2022 season. 2023.
Thursday's vote "will allow us to work with the FFF on the creation of a third professional division," confirmed the president of the LFP, Vincent Labrune, quoted in the press release.
Currently, the National 1 brings together professional and semi-professional clubs.
The League says it hopes that after the implementation of the reform, "the clubs relegated from Ligue 2 (can) keep their professional status in National beyond the two seasons".
This status could also be granted to a National club that has never played in L2, under certain conditions.
"These changes will be accompanied by the establishment of a solidarity mechanism for the clubs concerned by these devices", it is specified.
© 2021 AFP