Championnat National

Championnat National

Founded	1993
Country	France
Confederation	UEFA
Number of teams	18
Level on pyramid	3
Promotion to	Ligue 2
Relegation to	Championnat National 2
Domestic cup(s)	Coupe de France
League cup(s)	Coupe de la Ligue (selected clubs)
International cup(s)	Europa League (via cups)
Current champions	Red Star (2nd title) (2017–18)
Most championships	Clermont Foot, Nîmes, Red Star (2 titles each)
Website	Official site
2018–19 Championnat National

The Championnat de France National (English: French National Championship), commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, serves as 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.

Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 34 games each, totalling 272 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.

National was founded in 1993 by the French Football Federation and serves 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, semi-professional, and amateur football clubs. The current champions are Red Star F.C.. 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 second and third-place finisher are also promoted to the second division, while the four lowest placed teams are relegated to the Championnat de France Amateur and the four winners of the four groups from the Championnat de France amateur are promoted in their place.

Clubs

Members for 2017–18

The following 18 clubs will compete in the Championnat National during the 2017–18 season.

Avranches

Béziers

Boulogne

Chambly

Cholet

Concarneau

Créteil

Dunkerque

Grenoble

Laval

L'Entente

Les Herbiers

Lyon-Duchère

Marseille Consolat

Pau

Red Star

Rodez

Locations of the 2017-18 Championnat National clubs

Club	Location	Venue	Capacity
US Avranches	Avranches	Stade René Fenouillère	2,000
AS Béziers	Béziers	Stade du Sauclières	12,000
US Boulogne	Boulogne-sur-Mer	Stade de la Libération	15,004
FC Chambly	Chambly	Stade des Marais	1,000
SO Cholet	Cholet	Stade Omnisports de Cholet	9,000
US Concarneau	Concarneau	Stade Guy Piriou	7,000
US Créteil-Lusitanos	Créteil	Stade Dominique Duvauchelle	12,150
USL Dunkerque	Dunkerque	Stade Marcel-Tribut	4,200
Grenoble Foot 38	Grenoble	Stade des Alpes	20,068
Stade Lavallois	Laval	Stade Francis Le Basser	18,739
L'Entente SSG	Saint-Gratien	Parc des Sports Michel Hidalgo	8,000
Les Herbiers VF	Les Herbiers	Stade Massabielle	5,000
AS Lyon-Duchère	Lyon	Duchère Stadium	5,438
GS Consolat	Marseille	Stade La Martine	1,990
Pau FC	Pau	Stade du Hameau	18,000
Red Star F.C.	Paris	Stade Jean-Bouin	20,000
Rodez AF	Rodez	Stade Paul Lignon	5,955

Championnat National table of honours

References

External links

• Official Site (in French)