77th season of the second-tier football league in France
Football league season
The 2015–16 Ligue 2 season was the 77th season since its establishment.
Teams
There are 20 clubs in the league, with three promoted teams from Championnat National replacing the three teams that were relegated to the same level, and three relegated teams from Ligue 1 replacing the three teams that were promoted to the same level. All clubs that secured Ligue 2 status for the season were subject to approval by the DNCG before becoming eligible to participate.
The first team to officially join the division for the 2015–16 was Lens , who were relegated from Ligue 1 on 2 May 2015 as results on the day went against them.[ 1] They were joined a week later by Metz , after a 4–0 home defeat against Lorient .[ 2] The last relegated club were Evian after a 2-1 defeat on 16 May 2015.[ 3]
Red Star were the first team promoted from National , after a 4–0 victory against Istres on 8 May 2015, marking their return to the professional levels after sixteen years in the amateur leagues.[ 4] Paris FC and Bourg-Péronnas only gained the right to promote on the last day of the season, when Paris FC drew 0–0 against CA Bastia and Bourg-Péronnas won 1–0 against Boulogne .[ 5]
Only 2 teams were planned to be promoted and relegated this season[ 6] but the decision was later overturned by an appeal to the Conseil d'État [ 7] and the French Football Federation.[ 8] [ 9]
Stadia and locations
Location of teams in
2015–16 Ligue 2
Club
Location
Venue
Capacity
Ajaccio
Ajaccio
Stade François Coty
10,660
Auxerre
Auxerre
Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps
21,379
Bourg-en-Bresse
Bourg-en-Bresse
Stade Marcel-Verchère 1
11,400
Brest
Brest
Stade Francis-Le Blé
15,097
Clermont Foot
Clermont-Ferrand
Stade Gabriel Montpied
11,980
Créteil
Créteil
Stade Dominique Duvauchelle
12,050
Dijon
Dijon
Stade Gaston Gérard
16,098
Évian
Annecy
Parc des Sports
15,660
Laval
Laval
Stade Francis Le Basser
18,607
Le Havre
Le Havre
Stade Océane
25,000
Lens
Lens
Stade Bollaert-Delelis
35,000
Metz
Metz
Stade Saint-Symphorien
24,500
Nancy
Tomblaine
Stade Marcel Picot
20,087
Nîmes
Nîmes
Stade des Costières
18,482
Niort
Niort
Stade René Gaillard
10,886
Paris
Paris
Stade Sébastien Charléty
20,000
Red Star
Saint-Ouen
Stade Pierre Brisson 2
10,178
Sochaux
Montbéliard
Stade Auguste Bonal
20,000
Tours
Tours
Stade de la Vallée du Cher
16,247
Valenciennes
Valenciennes
Stade du Hainaut
25,172
Personnel and kits
1 Subject to change during the season.
Managerial changes
League table
Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Promotion or Relegation
1
Nancy (C, P)
38
21
11
6
60
32
+28
74
Promotion to Ligue 1
2
Dijon (P)
38
20
10
8
62
36
+26
70
3
Metz (P)
38
19
8
11
54
39
+15
65
4
Le Havre
38
19
8
11
52
37
+15
65
5
Red Star
38
18
10
10
43
38
+5
64
6
Lens
38
15
13
10
39
35
+4
58
7
Clermont Foot
38
16
10
12
56
53
+3
58
8
Auxerre
38
15
10
13
47
46
+1
55
9
Tours
38
11
14
13
36
41
−5
47
10
Brest
38
12
11
15
34
41
−7
47
11
Bourg-en-Bresse
38
13
8
17
47
59
−12
47
12
Valenciennes
38
10
14
14
39
43
−4
44
13
Laval
38
9
17
12
35
42
−7
44
14
Nîmes [ a]
38
13
12
13
50
52
−2
43
15
Sochaux
38
9
15
14
34
36
−2
42
16
Niort
38
8
18
12
38
45
−7
42
17
Ajaccio
38
9
15
14
34
42
−8
42
18
Evian [ b] (R, D)
38
9
12
17
41
41
0
39
Demotion to Division d'Honneur Régionale
19
Créteil (R)
38
8
10
20
42
66
−24
34
Relegation to Championnat National
20
Paris FC (R)
38
4
18
16
32
51
−19
30
Source:
Ligue 2 Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) head-to-head goal difference; 5) fair play points
(C) Champions;
(D) Disqualified;
(P) Promoted;
(R) Relegated
Notes:
^ Nîmes was docked 8 points for match fixing in the 2013–14 season .[ 37]
^ Evian was demoted due to financial difficulties.[ 38]
Results
Source:
Ligue 2 Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.
Season statistics
Top goalscorers
As of matches played on 13 May 2016.
Source: Official Goalscorers' Standings
References
^ "Lens mathématiquement relégué en Ligue 2" (in French). lequipe.fr . 2 May 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2015 .
^ "Metz officiellement relégué" (in French). lequipe.fr . 9 May 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2015 .
^ "PSG claim third straight French title, Evian relegated" . fifa.com . 16 May 2015. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2015 .
^ "Le Red Star monte en L2, Paris FC n'est plus loin!" (in French). lequipe.fr . 8 May 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2015 .
^ Baudu, Gil (22 May 2015). "National : Le Paris FC et Bourg-Péronnas prennent l'ascenseur pour la L2, Strasbourg reste à quai" . FranceTV Sport . France Télévisions SA. Retrieved 4 August 2015 .
^ "Ligue 1 reduces relegation spots from three to two from next season" .
^ "Ligue 1 relegation places stay at three, uncertainty continues" .
^ "Le référé de la LFP rejeté" . Le Figaro.fr (in French). 14 August 2015.
^ "Ligue 1/Ligue 2 : Il y aura bien trois rélégations/Promotions" . 2016-02-03.
^ "Signature d'une convention avec Gueugnon" (in French). fcbourgperonnas.fr. Archived from the original on 25 June 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015 .
^ "Beauvais, lieu du principal stade de repli" (in French). redstar.fr. 7 July 2015. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015 .
^ "Le Paris FC et Christophe Taine se séparent" (in French). parisfootballclub.com . 4 June 2015. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015 .
^ "Denis Renaud nouvel entraîneur du Paris FC" (in French). parisfootballclub.com . 5 June 2015. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015 .
^ "Une montée en L2, ce n'est qu'une étape" (in French). redstar.fr . 6 June 2015. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015 .
^ "Rui Almeida, entraîneur du Red Star" (in French). redstar.fr . 12 June 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015 .
^ "Albert Cartier n'est plus l'entraîneur des Grenats" (in French). fcmetz.com . 16 June 2015. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015 .
^ "José Riga, nouvel entraîneur du FC Metz" (in French). fcmetz.com . 16 June 2015. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015 .
^ "Un nouveau staff technique" (in French). ac-ajaccio.com . 26 June 2015. Archived from the original on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2015 .
^ "Marco Simone, nouvel entraineur du Tours FC !" (in French). toursfc.fr . 25 June 2015. Archived from the original on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2015 .
^ "Susic nouveau coach d'Evian" (in French). Le Figaro . 11 July 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2015 .
^ "Sochaux se sépare d'Echouafni" (in French). Le Figaro . 12 September 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2015 .
^ "Albert Cartier officiellement entraîneur de Sochaux" (in French). Le Figaro . 3 October 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2015 .
^ "Goudet limogé par Le Havre" (in French). Le Figaro . 28 September 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2015 .
^ "Bob Bradley nouvel entraîneur du Havre" (in French). Le Figaro . 10 November 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2015 .
^ "Nîmes : Pasqualetti démissionne pour raisons de santé" (in French). Le Figaro . 21 November 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015 .
^ "Blaquart confirmé sur le banc de Nîmes jusqu'à la trêve" (in French). Le Figaro . 1 December 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015 .
^ "Vasseur, Casoni, Hantz au Paris FC ?" (in French). Le Figaro . 28 November 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015 .
^ "Jean-Luc Vasseur officiellement entraîneur du Paris FC" (in French). Le Figaro . 29 November 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015 .
^ "Créteil : Roussey remplace Froger comme entraîneur" (in French). Le Figaro . 9 December 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015 .
^ "José Riga remercié par Metz" (in French). Le Figaro . 23 December 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2016 .
^ "Philippe Hinschberger nouvel entraîneur de Metz (officiel)" (in French). Le Figaro . 24 December 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2016 .
^ "L'entraîneur de Valenciennes écarté" (in French). Le Figaro . 28 December 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2016 .
^ "Hadzibegic nomme entraineur du VAFC" (in French). va-fc.com. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016 .
^ "Evian se sépare de Safet Susic" (in French). Le Figaro . 11 January 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016 .
^ "Brouard licencié de Niort après une série de mauvais résultats" (in French). Le Figaro . 29 February 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016 .
^ "Denis Renaud nouvel entraîneur de Niort" (in French). Le Figaro . 9 May 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016 .
^ "Nîmes Olympique - Décision de la commission supérieure d'appel de la FFF" (in French). fff.fr . 20 May 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2015 .
^ "Evian-Thonon confirmé administrativement en CFA" . l'equipe.fr (in French). 13 July 2016.
Division 2 (1933–2002) Ligue 2 (2002–present)
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Ligue 1
Ligue 2
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CFA (Group A , B , C , D )
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