The French Football Federation are said to be considering a radical new rule change that will see how the Ligue 1 champions are declared change completely, reports in France have said, as per the Daily Mail. Paris Saint-Germain's dominance in recent years has somewhat tarnished the league's reputation compared to the other five major European leagues.
Further complicating matters is the breakdown in negotiations over a new television rights deal, a crucial component in helping French football keep pace with its European counterparts. DAZN currently holds Ligue 1’s streaming rights under a £337 million-per-year agreement set to run through 2029. However, during the current campaign, DAZN has sought to renegotiate the terms, straining the partnership and setting the stage for a potential legal dispute.
In Deloitte’s 2022/23 football finance review, France’s domestic league was ranked as the fifth most profitable in Europe, generating approximately £2.1 billion in revenue - far behind the Premier League’s £6.2 billion. In response to these challenges, the French Football Federation has introduced a bold proposal aimed at transforming the national league structure, with significant changes now being seriously considered as a formal plan begins to take shape.
Radical New Ligue 1 Format Under Consideration
The changes being proposed are in hope of making it more competitive
PSG players celebrating after scoring against Arsenal in the Champions League
FFF president Philippe Diallo has revealed that three working groups are currently exploring areas where changes could be introduced, with one group - focused specifically on Ligue 1 - being led by former coach and scout Damien Comolli.
As per L'Équipe, one of the key proposals under discussion is a significant revamp of how the title is decided. The concept involves introducing a play-off tournament among the top four teams at the end of the regular season to determine the champion.
This idea is reportedly driven by the ongoing dominance of this season’s title-winners, Paris Saint-Germain, and aims to inject greater competitiveness into the league. The French outlet noted that the proposal has received a cautiously positive reception from some stakeholders, including a number of players.
However, the addition of a post-season play-off has also raised concerns about an already congested football calendar, with critics warning it could worsen issues related to fixture overload.
Alongside the play-off format, Diallo also outlined other potential reforms during the project’s unveiling on Monday. These include setting a limit on squad sizes and exploring the introduction of salary caps - measures aimed at establishing a Financial Fair Play-style framework within French football.