Reducing Ligue 1 from 20 to 18 clubs from the 2022-2023 season worries the Ligue 2 clubs. In a joint press release published on Monday, the latter express their "desire for much more in-depth reflection on this subject of changes to our formats. of competitions ”.

"The arguments developed, the absence of precise information on the positions of the broadcasters with regard to us on next season, and the method employed do not allow all L2 clubs to make up their minds in such a short time frame", is it written.

Support from an elite 'silent majority'

"It is premature to settle in two blows of a spoon to pot such an important reflection, explains to AFP Christian Leca, president of AC Ajaccio and spokesperson for the college of L2.

As long as the problem of TV rights is not resolved, it will not change anything to play at 18, 20 or 40. "French football is in budgetary vagueness for next season after the fiasco of the broadcaster Mediapro this winter and pending the reassignment of rights for the period 2021-2024.

In Ligue 1, several presidents of middle elite clubs are not in favor of a hasty decision either, according to a source close to one of them.

These clubs, which think they are forming a "silent majority", have "too many uncertainties" between TV rights and the health crisis to implement a reform currently, the same source said.

Meeting of L1 presidents this Tuesday

The envisaged formula, according to Christian Leca, would be to proceed to four relegations in L1, plus a play-off, at the end of the 2021-2022 season, and only two climbs, and a play-off, on the L2 side, to reduce the L1 to 18 clubs and pass the L2 to 22 clubs.

The reform would allow TV rights to be divided by 18 L1 clubs and no longer 20, which is of great interest to the biggest clubs, which have already positioned themselves in favor of the project.

Tuesday, the college of presidents of L1 meets at 10:00 a.m., that of presidents of L2 at 4:00 p.m., and Wednesday the Board of Directors of the Professional Football League (LFP), scheduled at 10:00 a.m., must discuss the matter, before an assembly general of the LFP on June 3, decision-maker by simple majority for this kind of modification of competition format.

We would then have to wait for the validation of the French Football Federation.

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