Nationale | League Details

Last updated : Tuesday, 09 April 2024

Introduction

The Championnat National 2, commonly known as National 2 and formerly known as Championnat de France Amateur (CFA), is a football league competition in France. It is the fourth tier of the French football league system behind Ligue 1, Ligue 2, and the Championnat National.

The league is contested by 56 clubs, divided into four groups of 14 teams. The teams play each other twice, once at home and once away. The top two teams in each group are promoted to the Championnat National, while the bottom two teams in each group are relegated to the Championnat National 3.

The current champions are Le Mans FC.

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 reserve teams' table was renamed Championnat de France Amateur 2 (CFA 2) and the amateur clubs' table was renamed Championnat de France Amateur (CFA).

In 2017, the CFA and CFA 2 were merged to form the Championnat National 3, which is now the fifth tier of the French football league system.

Format

The Championnat National 2 is played on a system of promotion and relegation with the Championnat National and the Championnat National 3. Seasons run from August to May, with teams in four groups playing 26 games each.

The top two teams in each group are promoted to the Championnat National, while the bottom two teams in each group are relegated to the Championnat National 3.