Championnat National

The Championnat National (English: French National Championship), commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, is the third division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. Contested by 18 clubs, the Championnat National operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Ligue 2 and the Championnat National 2, the fourth division of French football.

Championnat National
Organising bodyFFF
Founded1993 (1993)
CountryFrance
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams18
Level on pyramid3
Promotion toLigue 2
Relegation toChampionnat National 2
Domestic cup(s)Coupe de France
International cup(s)Europa League (via cups)
Current championsConcarneau (1st title)
(2022–23)
Most championshipsClermont, Nîmes, Red Star, Bastia
(2 titles each)
TV partnersCanal+ Sport
WebsiteOfficial site
Current: 2023–24 Championnat National

Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 34 games each, totalling 306 games in the season. Most games are played on Fridays and Saturdays, with a few games played during weekday evenings. Play is regularly suspended the last weekend before Christmas for two weeks before returning in the second week of January.

The National was founded in 1993 by the French Football Federation and served as a base league for clubs on the brink of becoming professional or falling to the amateur levels. The league is annually composed of professional and semi-professional clubs or amateur clubs. The matches in the league attract on average between 2,500 and 6,000 spectators per match.

Competition format

There are 18 clubs in the Championnat National. During the course of a season, usually from August to May, each club plays the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 34 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned champion and promoted to Ligue 2. If points are equal, the goal difference and then goals scored determine the winner. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship or for relegation, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank. The first and second place finisher are also promoted to the second division, while the six lowest placed teams are relegated to the Championnat National 2 and the four winners of the four groups from Championnat National 2 are promoted in their place until 2023–24 season.

Current clubs

For the 2023–24 season.

Stadia and locations
Location of teams in 2023–24 National
Club Location Venue Capacity
Avranches Avranches Stade René Fenouillère 2,000
Châteauroux Châteauroux Stade Gaston Petit 17,173
Cholet Cholet Stade Pierre Blouen 9,000
Dijon Dijon Stade Gaston Gérard 15,995
Épinal Épinal Stade de la Colombière 8,000
GOAL FC Chasselay Stade Ludovic Giuly 600
Le Mans Le Mans MMArena 25,000
Marignane GCB Marignane Stade Saint-Exupéry 1,500
Martigues Martigues Stade Francis Turcan 8,290
Nancy Nancy Stade Marcel Picot 20,087
Nîmes Nîmes Stade des Costières 18,482
Niort Niort Stade René Gaillard 10,886
Orléans Orléans Stade de la Source 7,000
Red Star Paris (Saint-Ouen) Stade Bauer 10,000
Rouen Rouen Stade Robert Diochon 12,108
Sochaux Montbéliard Stade Auguste Bonal 20,005
Versailles Paris (Paris 16) Stade Jean-Bouin[lower-alpha 1] 19,904
Villefranche Villefranche-sur-Saône Stade Armand Chouffet 3,500
  1. Stade de Montbauron is not of sufficient standard for Championnat National. Versailles will play their games at Stade Jean-Bouin.[1]

Championnat National table of honours


Season Group A Winner Group B Winner Other promoted teams
1993–94En Avant de GuingampLB ChâteaurouxAmiens SC and Perpignan FC
1994–95FC LorientSAS ÉpinalStade Poitevin and CS Louhans-Cuiseaux
1995–96Stade BriochinSporting Toulon VarAssociation Troyes AC and AS Beauvais Oise
1996–97ES WasquehalNîmes Olympique
Season Champions Runner Up Third place
1997–98AC AjaccioCS Sedan ArdennesUS Créteil-Lusitanos (not promoted)
1998–99CS Louhans-CuiseauxUS Créteil-LusitanosGazélec Ajaccio (not promoted)
1999–2000AS Beauvais OiseFC MartiguesAngers SCO
2000–01Grenoble Foot 38Amiens SCFC Istres
2001–02Clermont FootStade de ReimsASOA Valence and Toulouse FC (4 clubs promoted this season)
2002–03Besançon Racing ClubAngers SCOFC Rouen
2003–04Stade de ReimsStade Brestois 29Dijon FCO
2004–05Valenciennes FCASOA Valence (not promoted due to financial problems)FC Sète 34
2005–06Chamois NiortaisTours FCFC Libourne-Saint-Seurin
2006–07Clermont Foot (2)US BoulogneAngers SCO
2007–08Vannes OCTours FCNîmes Olympique
2008–09FC IstresStade LavalloisAC Arles
2009–10Evian Thonon GaillardStade de ReimsES Troyes AC
2010–11SC BastiaAmiens SCEn Avant de Guingamp
2011–12Nîmes Olympique (2)Chamois NiortaisGazélec Ajaccio
2012–13US Créteil-LusitanosFC MetzCA Bastia
2013–14US OrléansUS LuzenacGazélec Ajaccio
2014–15Red StarParis FCFC Bourg-Péronnas
2015–16StrasbourgOrléansAmiens
2016–17ChâteaurouxQuevillyParis FC (Promotion Play-Off)
2017–18Red Star (2)BéziersGrenoble
2018–19RodezChamblyLe Mans
2019–20Pau[lower-alpha 1]USL DunkerqueUS Boulogne
2020–21SC Bastia (2)Quevilly-RouenVillefranche
2021–22LavalAnnecyVillefranche
2022–23ConcarneauDunkerqueRed Star
2023–24TBDTBDTBD
  1. Championship not awarded due to season being terminated early.[2]

References
  1. "National. Le FC Versailles 78 a choisi de jouer au stade Jean Bouin" (in French). footamateur.fr. 28 June 2022.
  2. "FFF : Pas de titre en National, les Lyonnaises championnes" (in French). foot-national.com. 11 May 2020.
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