Division 1 Féminine

Division 1 Féminine

Country	France
Confederation	UEFA
Founded	1974
Divisions	1
Number of teams	12
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Division 2 Féminine
Domestic cup(s)	Coupe de France Féminine
International cup(s)	UEFA Champions League
Current champions	Olympique Lyonnais (14th title) (2015–16)
Most championships	Olympique Lyonnais (14 titles)
TV partners	France Télévisions Eurosport
Website	Website
2015–16 season

The Championnat de France de Football Féminin, primarily referred to as the Division 1 Féminine and shortened as D1F, is the highest division of women's football in France. The league is the female equivalent to the men's Ligue 1 and is contested by 12 clubs. Seasons run from September to June, with teams playing 22 games each totaling 132 games in the season. Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with a few games played during weekday evenings. Play is regularly suspended after the second week in December before returning in the third week of January. The Division 1 Féminine is ranked the second best women's league in Europe according to UEFA.

History

The Division 1 Féminine was originally created in 1918 and managed by the Fédération des Sociétés Féminines Sportives de France (FSFSF), a women's football organization in France that was led by women's football pioneer Alice Milliat. The league lasted for twelve seasons before disbanding due to the prohibition of women's football. In 1975, women's football was officially re-instated and the Division 1 Féminine returned with funding from the French Football Federation. Female football players in France began signing professional contracts with their clubs beginning with the 2009–10 season, the most notable of which is Olympique Lyonnais. Contracts were previously semi-professional. The defending champions are Olympique Lyonnais who are also the most successful club in the history of the league.

Competition format

There are 12 clubs in the Division 1 Féminine. During the course of a season, usually from September to June, each club plays the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 22 games, though clubs are allowed to host "big" matches at the home venues of their male counterparts, such as when Paris Saint-Germain hosted Juvisy at the Parc des Princes during the 2009–10 season. The female leagues are run similarly to the men's amateur leagues in France with teams receiving four points for a win and two points for a draw. One point is 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. 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, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank. The two lowest placed teams are relegated to the Division 2 Féminine and the winners of the two groups in D2 Féminine are promoted in their place.

Between the years 2001–2004, the league adopted a playoff system. The top four clubs in the league table were inserted into a playoff table following the completion of the season with the winner being crowned champions. From 1974–1992, the league consisted of several groups with the winners of each group entering a playoff phase to determine the champion.

European qualification

Currently, as determined by the UEFA women's coefficient, the top two teams in the Division 1 Féminine qualify for the UEFA Women's Champions League. As of today, the winner of the Challenge de France, the female equivalent of the Coupe de France, does not qualify for European competition.

Clubs

See also: List of French women's football champions

Teams for 2015–2016

The following 12 clubs competed in the Division 1 Féminine during the 2015–16 season.

Club	Position in 2014–15	Founded	Top division titles	Last top division title
ASPTT Albi	9	–	0	–
EA Guingamp	5	1973	1	1988–89
Juvisy	3	1971	6	2005–06
La Roche-sur-Yon	D2 Féminine (B) 1st	1978	0	–
Lyon	1	1970	14	2015–16
Montpellier	4	1990	2	2004–05
Nîmes Métropole Gard	D2 Féminine (C) 1st	1995	0	–
Paris Saint-Germain	2	1971	0	–
Rodez	7	1993	0	–
Saint-Étienne	8	1977	0	–
Soyaux	6	1968	1	1983–84
VGA Saint-Maur	D2 Féminine (A) 1st	1968	6	1989–90

Previous winners

Main article: List of French women's football champions

Top scorers

Included in the table below is a list of the top scorers of each season, starting from the 2001–02 season. Information for previous seasons unavailable.

Season	Goals scored	Player
2001–02	22	Marinette Pichon (Saint-Memmie Olympique)
2002–03	26	Sandrine Brétigny (Lyon)
2003–04	18	Claire Morel (Lyon)
2004–05	38	Marinette Pichon (Juvisy)
2005–06	36	Marinette Pichon (Juvisy)
2006–07	42	Sandrine Brétigny (Lyon)
2007–08	27	Laëtitia Tonazzi (Juvisy)
2008–09	27	Kátia (Lyon)
2009–10	19	Eugénie Le Sommer (Saint-Brieuc)
2010–11	20	Laëtitia Tonazzi (Juvisy)
2011–12	22	Eugénie Le Sommer (Lyon)
2012–13	24	Lotta Schelin (Lyon)
2013–14	25	Gaëtane Thiney (Juvisy)
2014–15	34	Lotta Schelin (Lyon)
2015–16	33	Ada Hegerberg (Lyon)

Awards

Main article: Trophées UNFP du football

In addition to the winner's trophy and the individual winner's medal players receive, the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) awards the UNFP Female Player of the Year award to the top female player of the league. The current winner of the award is French international and FCF Juvisy midfielder Gaëtane Thiney. Following the 2009–10 season, the French Football Federation, who oversee the league, also began awarding a Player of the Year trophy. The jury panel who decided the winner consists of the twelve managers in the D1 Féminine.

See also

• Women's football in France

External links

• (French) Official site
• (French) FootoFeminin
• (French) Official Youtube channel