Championnat de France amateur

Championnat de France amateur

Countries	France
Confederation	UEFA
Founded	1993
Number of teams	69 (2010–11 season)
Levels on pyramid	4
Promotion to	Championnat National
Relegation to	Championnat de France amateur 2
Domestic cup(s)	Coupe de France
International cup(s)	Europa League (via domestic cup)
Current champions	Gazélec Ajaccio (2010–11)
Website	Official site
2011–12 Championnat de France amateur

The Championnat de France amateur, commonly referred to as simply CFA and formerly known as National 2, is a football league competition. The league serves as the fourth division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1, Ligue 2, and the Championnat National. Contested by 72 clubs, the Championnat de France amateur operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Championnat National and the Championnat de France amateur 2, the fifth division of French football. Seasons run from August to May, with teams in four groups playing 34 games each totalling 1360 games in the season. Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, 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 Championnat de France amateur was initially founded by the French Football Federation in 1927 and was composed of the regional amateur league champions. The league served as the first division of French football until 1929 before the league was converted to the professional league that exists today in 1932.^[1] The current incarnation of the CFA was founded in 1993 as National 2 and lasted for five years before being converted to the current format used today. Most clubs that participate in the league are amateur clubs, hence the league name, but a small amount of clubs are semi-professional. The matches in the league attract on average between 800 and 1,000 spectators per match. However, this average is dragged down by the minuscule turnouts for the pros' home reserve matches. The current champions are Colmar who accumulated 103 points in Groupe A to earn promotion to the third division.^[2] The winners of the Groupe B, Groupe C, and Groupe D were Gap, Niort, and Orléans, respectively. All three clubs, alongside the champions, earned promotion to the Championnat National.^[3][4][5]

History

The amateur championship of France was created in 1993 under the name National 2 as an heir to the now-defunct Division 3. The league's debut coincided with the creation of the Championnat National, the third division of French football, which is commonly known as National. For the first three years of the competition, an amateur champion was crowned in France regardless of whether the club was amateur or a reserve team. In 1998, the French Football Federation changed the competition's format creating two separate tables; one for the amateur clubs and another for the reserve teams of professional clubs. The dual tables allowed the league to declare a champion for the amateurs and the reserves with four team tournaments being held following the conclusion of league play to determine the champions. In 2001, the federation ended this style and reverted to the original format allowing both the amateur clubs and reserve teams to be grouped together based on their regional location. The winner of each group would then earn promotion to the Championnat National, unless the club is a reserve team. Meanwhile, the reserve teams continued to use the previous format with the best reserve teams of each group being inserted into a tournament to decide the reserves' champion.

Competition format

There are 72 clubs that participate in the Championnat de France amateur annually. The clubs are split into four parallel groups of 18 with their group affiliation being based on the regional location. The league is open to the best reserve teams in France and amateur clubs in France, although only the amateur clubs are eligible for promotion to the Championnat National. During the course of a season, usually from August to May, each club plays the others in their respective group twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 34 games. Since the league it is considered amateur, teams receive four points for a win and two points for a draw. One point is awarded for a loss. A club gets no points from a game for certain disciplinary reasons or if they forfeit. 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, regardless of the group, is crowned champion and promoted to the Championnat National. If points are equal, head-to-head match results, followed by 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 three other highest-placed amateur teams in the other groups are also promoted, while the 4 lowest-placed teams from each group are relegated to the Championnat de France amateur 2 and the eight winners of the eight groups and the top four second-place finishers from the Championnat de France amateur 2 are promoted in their place.

Teams

The following teams are competing in the Championnat de France amateur for the 2009–10 season.

Groupe A Club Name UJA Alfortville CSO Amnéville Besançon RC SR Colmar AFC Compiègne JA Drancy USL Dunkerque SAS Épinal RC Lens Reserves Lille OSC Reserves AS Marck FC Mulhouse AS Nancy Reserves Olympique Noisy-le-Sec US Raon-l'Étape L'Entente SSG RC Strasbourg Reserves Vesoul Haute-Saône Villemomble Sports

Groupe B Club Name RCO Agde Gazélec Ajaccio ASF Andrézieux CA Bastia FC Bourg-Péronnas Gap FC Grenoble Reserves Jura Sud Foot US Le Pontet AS Lyon-Duchère Lyon Reserves US Marignane FC Martigues FC Montceau Bourgogne Montpellier HSC Reserves Sochaux Reserves Sporting Toulon Var FC Villefranche

Groupe C Club Name US Albi Genêts Anglet Aurillac FCA Balma SC Bordeaux Reserves US Colomiers Vendée Fontenay Foot Le Mans Reserves Les Herbiers VF FC Libourne-Saint-Seurin Vendée Luçon Football EDS Montluçon Chamois Niortais FC Paris SG Reserves Pau FC Red Star FC Toulouse Fontaines Club AS Yzeure

Groupe D Club Name AJ Auxerre Reserves US Avranches SM Caen Reserves USJA Carquefou AS Cherbourg US Ivry Le Havre AC Reserves FC Mantes US Sénart-Moissy US Orléans GSI Pontivy US Quevilly Quimper Cornouaille FC Racing Club de France Rennes Reserves SO Romorantin ES Viry-Châtillon La Vitréenne FC

References

1. ^ Gilles Gauthey, Le football professionnel français, Paris, 1961, p.18
2. ^ "Colmar en National? Point sur les quatre Groupes". Foot National (Foot National). 22 May 2010. http://www.foot-national.com/articles-2524.html. Retrieved 22 May 2010. 
3. ^ "Niort en National, le point sur tous les groupes". Foot National (Foot National). 8 May 2010. http://www.foot-national.com/articles-2492.html. Retrieved 8 May 2010. 
4. ^ "Orléans est en National". Foot National (Foot National). 15 May 2010. http://www.foot-national.com/flashes-14446.html. Retrieved 15 May 2010. 
5. ^ "Gap en National, incertitude entre Colmar et l'UJA Alfortville". Foot National (Foot National). 29 May 2010. http://www.foot-national.com/articles-2534.html. Retrieved 29 May 2010. 

External links

• Official Site of the Fédération française de football
• Championnat de France amateur Fixtures (English)