Ligue 3 kicks off to replace National with VAR, bigger budget and promotion shake-up | OneFootball

Ligue 3 replaces National on Friday 7 August, creating a fully professional third tier of 18 clubs, 13 with experience above. According to L'Équipe, the FFF has allocated €12.3m.

All clubs share a federal pro status. A lighter VAR with two manager challenges and a fourth official arrives, and coverage shifts exclusively to Ligue 1+ on Thursdays and Saturday afternoons.

Caen start as strong favourites under Gaël Clichy, buoyed by the returning Mathieu Bodmer, striker Fahd El Khoumisti, who has 85 National goals, and Denis Appiah.

Amiens and Bastia were relegated together last season. Under new sporting director Lucas Clément, Amiens have rebuilt with about 20 arrivals, with only Thomas Monconduit likely to stay, and president Bernard Joannin warns that early favourite labels are dangerous.

On Corsica, Laurent Peyrelade aims to reconnect Bastia with a bruised public and revive Furiani, though the first two matches there will be behind closed doors. Newly promoted Cannes look a live outsider by banking on experience, typified by Julien Lopez’s move from Paris.

Versailles, fifth in spring, kept Shelton Guillaume and target stability, with third to sixth now feeding play-offs. Valenciennes back Pierre Blois after his rise from the reserves, Rouen, third last term, look strong, while Fleury must absorb the loss of key players and their coach.

The top two are promoted. Teams finishing third to sixth enter play-offs, the winner then faces Ligue 2’s 16th, and the bottom three are relegated to N1.

Source: L'Équipe

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