Ligue 3 on the horizon: French football set for third professional division
Today at 12:52 PM
The presidents of the Championnat National (the third tier of French football) want to transform the league into Ligue 3 as per a press release from the newly created Association of National Presidents (APN).
On Monday the 7th of October, the presidents of the third division met to revive the APN which had been inactive since the death of Gilbert Guérin, the president of US Avrances, in 2023.
At the meeting, the president of Le Mans FC, Thierry Gomez, was elected as the new president of the association, while Philippe Terrier (FC Villefranche Beaujolais) and Jacques Piriou (US Concarneau) were chosen to be his vice-presidents.
They also discussed the idea of launching Ligue 3, which would transform the third tier from a semi-professional league into a fully professional division. This meeting also involved the president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo, who has been open to the idea.
The APN also announced that the change to a professional league will take place from the 2026/27 season. However, a rebrand to Ligue 3 could be as soon as next season.
