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Ligue 1: Know History, Winners List and Top Scorers
Contents
The Ligue 1 is the top-tier football league or the primary football competition in France administered by Ligue de Football Professionnel. As many as 20 teams take part in the competition every year with the league following a promotion and relegation system like other top European leagues – Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and others.
Every team plays a total of 38 matches in Ligue 1, with each facing the other twice in a home and away fixture. Over the years, Ligue 1 has seen some of the best football players gracing it like Brazilian legend Ronaldinho, free-kick specialistJuninho, French talisman Franck Ribery, Samir Nasri and many more, to make it one of the most followed leagues in Europe.
The recent injection of money by the owners of PSG has further seen a spike in viewership with players like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Angel Di Maria and many more playing in Ligue 1.
Starting back in 1932, Ligue 1 has seen a total of 74 football clubs playing in the league so far. However, only five football clubs – Olympique Marseille, Metz Montpellier, Nice and Rennes – who were founding members of the league in 1932 are currently in the top-tier.
Though not the most successful Ligue 1 side yet, Paris Saint-Germain are the only football club in the league to never been relegated to Ligue 2 since their promotion to the top flight back in 1974-75 season.
Ligue 1: Winners List from Every Season
Year
Ligue 1, France
2020-21
Lille OSC
2019-20
season cancelled
2018-19
Paris Saint-Germain
2017-18
Paris Saint-Germain
2016-17
AS Monaco
2015-16
Paris Saint-Germain
2014-15
Paris Saint-Germain
2013-14
Paris Saint-Germain
2012-13
Paris Saint-Germain
2011-12
Montpellier
2010-11
Lille OSC
2009-10
Olympique de Marseille
2008-9
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
2007-8
Olympique Lyonnais
2006-7
Olympique Lyonnais
2005-06
Olympique Lyonnais
2004-05
Olympique Lyonnais
2003-04
Olympique Lyonnais
2002-03
Olympique Lyonnais
2001-02
Olympique Lyonnais
2000-01
FC Nantes
1999-00
AS Monaco FC
1998-99
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
1997-98
RC Lens
1996-97
AS Monaco FC
1995-96
AJ Auxerre
1994-95
FC Nantes
1993-94
Paris Saint-Germain FC
1992-93
No Champion *
1991-92
Olympique de Marseille
1990-91
Olympique de Marseille
1989-90
Olympique de Marseille
1988-89
Olympique de Marseille
1987-88
AS Monaco FC
1986-87
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
1985-86
Paris Saint-Germain FC
1984-85
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
1983-84
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
1982-83
FC Nantes
1981-82
AS Monaco FC
1980-81
AS Saint-Etienne
1979-80
FC Nantes
1978-79
RC Strasbourg
1977-78
AS Monaco FC
1976-77
FC Nantes
1975-76
AS Saint-Etienne
1974-75
AS Saint-Etienne
1973-74
AS Saint-Etienne
1972-73
FC Nantes
1971-72
Olympique de Marseille
1970-71
Olympique de Marseille
1969-70
AS Saint-Etienne
1968-69
AS Saint-Etienne
1967-68
AS Saint-Etienne
1966-67
AS Saint-Etienne
1965-66
FC Nantes
1964-65
FC Nantes
1963-64
AS Saint-Etienne
1962-63
AS Monaco FC
1961-62
Stade de Reims
1960-61
AS Monaco FC
1959-60
Stade de Reims
1958-59
OGC Nice
1957-58
Stade de Reims
1956-57
AS Saint-Etienne
1955-56
OGC Nice
1954-55
Stade de Reims
1953-54
Lille OSC
1952-53
Stade de Reims
1951-52
OGC Nice
1950-51
OGC Nice
1949-50
Girondins de Bordeaux
1948-49
Stade de Reims
1947-48
Olympique de Marseille
1946-47
CO Roubaix-Tourcoing
1945-46
Lille OSC
1944-45
No football league
1943-44
No football league
1942-43
No football league
1941-42
No football league
1940-41
No football league
1939-40
No football league
1938-39
FC Sete
1937-38
FC Sochaux-Montbeliard
1936-37
Olympique de Marseille
1935-36
Racing Club de Paris
1934-35
FC Sochaux-Montbeliard
1933-34
FC Sete
1932-33
Olympique Lillois
The most successful Ligue 1 is St Etienne with 10 Ligue 1 titles to their name, followed by Olympique Lyonnais (seven titles). Football club Lyon also boasts the record of being in Ligue 1 for 71 seasons, the most among all the clubs to ever play in the prestigious league.
Unsurprisingly, the star-studded Paris-Saint Germain has tallied the most points in a single Ligue 1 season with 96. They had an astounding goal difference of 83 with that 2015-16 season win. In 1948-49 Ligue 1 season with 34 games played, Lille OSC has the best goal difference of 62+
PSG also hold the record for most wins in a single season in 2015-16 and 2016-17 Ligue 1 seasons, in both of which they had registered 30 wins.
However, it is old Ligue giants St Etienne who have the most number of home victories (19) in a single season. PSG have the most away wins (15) in a single season. AS Monaco have the longest winning streak (15) in Ligue 1 that ranged from February 25, 2017, to August 17, 2017.
The longest unbeaten run, however, sits with Nantes after they went without losing a single game from May 15, 1976, to April 7, 1981.
Ligue 1: All-time top scorers
Rank
Player
Period
Club(s)
Goals
Games
1
Delio Onnis
1972–1986
Monaco, Reims, Tours, Toulon
299
449
2
Bernard Lacombe
1969–1987
Lyon, Saint-Étienne, Bordeaux
255
497
3
Hervé Revelli
1965–1978
Saint-Étienne, Nice
216
389
4
Roger Courtois
1932–1956
Sochaux, Troyes
210
288
5
Thadée Cisowski
1947–1961
Metz, RC Paris, Valenciennes
206
286
6
Roger Piantoni
1950–1966
FC Nancy, Reims, Nice
203
394
7
Joseph Ujlaki
1947–1964
Stade Français, Sète, Nîmes, Nice, RC Paris
190
438
8
Fleury Di Nallo
1960–1975
Lyon, Red Star
187
425
9
Carlos Bianchi;Gunnar Andersson
1973–1980;1950-1960
Reims, Paris Saint-Germain Strasbourg; Marseille, Bordeaux
179; 179
220; 234
Former AS Monaco, Reims, Tours and Toulon striker Delio Onnis has scored the most goals in Ligue. He played 449 games in the French league with 299 goals to his name. He is followed by Bernard Lacombe, who has 255 goals in 497 matches.
However, it was Yugoslavian striker Josip Skoblar who has scored the most goals in a single season with a whopping 44 goals to his name while playing for Marseille in the 1970-71 Ligue 1 season. The most goals scored in a single season by a Ligue 1 team was 118 by RC Paris during the 1959-60 season.
In recent times, however, it has been PSG starlet Kylian Mbappe who has been the leading goal scorer in Ligue 1. The French wunderkind has won the Golden Boot in the last three seasons despite having the likes of Neymar, Angel Di Maria and Mauro Icardi in the team.
Ligue 1: Title-winning managers
Rank
Manager
Number of Titles
Club(s) managed
Years
1
Albert Batteux
8
Reims (5), Saint-Étienne (3)
1953, 1955, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1968, 1969, 1970
2
Lucien Leduc
4
Monaco (3), Marseille (1)
1961, 1963, 1971, 1978
2
Robert Herbin
4
Saint-Étienne (4)
1974, 1975, 1976, 1981
2
Laurent Blanc
4
Bordeaux (1), Paris Saint-Germain (3)
2009, 2014, 2015, 2016
5
Jean Snella
3
Saint-Étienne (3)
1957, 1964, 1967
5
José Arribas
3
Nantes (3)
1965, 1966, 1973
5
Aimé Jacquet
3
Bordeaux (3)
1984, 1985, 1987
5
Gérard Houllier
3
Paris Saint-Germain (1), Lyon (2)
1986, 2006, 2007
5
Paul Le Guen
3
Lyon (3)
2003, 2004, 2005
10
Conrad Ross
2
Sochaux (2)
1935, 1938
10
Numa Andoire
2
Nice (2)
1951, 1952
10
Jean Vincent
2
Nantes (2)
1977, 1980
10
Gérard Gili
2
Marseille (2)
1989, 1990
10
Raymond Goethals
2
Marseille (2)
1991, 1992
10
Jean-Claude Suaudeau
2
Nantes (2)
1983, 1995
10
Thomas Tuchel
2
Paris Saint-Germain (2)
2019, 2020
The most successful manager in Ligue 1 has been Albert Batteux with eight titles to his name between 1953 to 1970. His most successful stint came with Reims with whom he won five titles. He also won thrice with St Etienne. Lucien Leduc, Robert Herbin and Laurent Blanc have all won four Ligue 1 titles each.
Ligue 1 clubs in UEFA Champions League
Despite having some of the top football talents from across the world, PSG are yet to win the coveted UEFA Champions League. In Lionel Messi and Neymar, the Ligue 1 club has two of the world’shighest-paid football players, but the closest they have come to winning the title was the final. However, now after having the regular, full experience of the elite league, PSG are eyeing the title this season with their star-studded squad.
The only Ligue 1 club, however, to becomeUEFA Champions League winners are Marseille, when they lifted the title in 1993.
