Championnat_National_U19
Championnat National U19
Youth association football league in France
The Championnat National U19 is the highest tier of under-19 football in France. Organized by the French Football Federation, it is contested by 56 clubs that are split into 4 groups.
| Organising body | French Football Federation (FFF) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1990 (officially) 2009 (as Championnat National U19) |
| Country | France (55 teams) |
| Other club(s) from | Monaco (1 team) |
| Level on pyramid | 1 (of under-19 age group) |
| Relegation to | Regional leagues |
| Domestic cup(s) | Coupe Gambardella (1996-2019) |
| International cup(s) | UEFA Youth League |
| Current champions | Nantes (3rd title) (2022–23) |
| Most championships | Paris Saint-Germain (4 titles) |
| Website | Championnat National U19 |
In 2009, the Championnat National 18 ans of France was renamed Championnat National U19.[1][2] Before the 18 ans league, a U17 (moins de 17 ans then 17 ans) league existed from 1990 to 2002. The Championnat National U19 became the continuation of the now-disappeared -17 ans and 18 ans leagues.[3][4] On the other hand, the Championnat National U17 is a continuation of the former moins de 15 ans league from 1990 to 2002 and 16 ans league from 2002 to 2009.[5]
| Period | Name of the competition | Age category |
|---|---|---|
| 1990–1996 | Championnat National des moins de 17 ans | Players turning 18 on or after 1 August of the year the competition ends |
| 1996–1999 | Players turning 18 on or after 1 January of the year the competitions ends | |
| 1999–2002 | Championnat National des 17 ans | |
| 2002–2009 | Championnat National 18 ans | Players turning 19 on or after 1 January of the year the competition ends |
| 2009–present | Championnat National U19 |
The Championnat National U19 is played annually and is contested by 56 clubs, with 55 coming from France and 1 from Monaco. The teams are divided into 4 geographically-determined groups of 14 teams. A season begins in the end of summer and ends in the following spring. In the league phase, every team plays each other twice (home and away) in their respective groups for a total of 26 games played per team. Afterwards, the first and second place teams of each group face off in a play-off phase. The winner of the final is crowned French under-19 champion.[6][7]
European qualification
Since 2015, the winner of the Championnat National U19 has qualified for the UEFA Youth League. In a separate path, 2–3 youth teams of Ligue 1 clubs qualified for the UEFA Champions League qualify for the Youth League as well.[8]
2021–22 season
For the 2021–22 season, 56 clubs participated in the Championnat National U19.[9]
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amiens | Auxerre | Angers | Ajaccio |
| Caen | Bourg-en-Bresse | Avranches | Béziers |
| Chambly | Clermont | Bordeaux | Cannes |
| Drancy | ASPTT Dijon | Brest | Colomiers |
| Évreux | Dijon | Concarneau | Istres |
| Feignies Aulnoye | Lyon | Châteauroux | Marseille |
| Le Havre | Metz | Guingamp | Monaco |
| Lens | Nancy | Laval | Montpellier |
| Lille | Paris FC | Le Mans | Nice |
| Orléans | Pontarlier | Mérignac [fr] | Nîmes |
| FC Montfermeil | Sochaux | Nantes | ASC Pieve di Lota |
| Paris Saint-Germain | Strasbourg | Rennes | Saint-Étienne |
| Saint-Pryvé Saint-Hilaire | Torcy | Tours | Toulon |
| Valenciennes | Troyes | Vertou | Toulouse |
Performances by club
Paris Saint-Germain have won the most Championnat National U19 titles, with four. They are followed by Lyon, Nantes, Bordeaux, and Rennes, who all have three titles, while Auxerre and Cannes both have two.[3] The title was not awarded for the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Team | Winners | Runners-up | Years won | Years runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris Saint-Germain | 4 | 2 | 2005–06, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2015–16 | 2011–12, 2022–23 |
| Lyon | 3 | 4 | 1992–93, 1999–2000, 2004–05 | 1998–99, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2015–16 |
| Nantes | 3 | 3 | 1990–91, 2021–22, 2022–23 | 2004–05, 2012–13, 2014–15 |
| Bordeaux | 3 | 2 | 1997–98, 1998–99, 2016–17 | 2000–01, 2008–09 |
| Rennes | 3 | 2001–02, 2006–07, 2018–19 | ||
| Auxerre | 2 | 1 | 1993–94, 2011–12 | 1990–91 |
| Cannes | 2 | 1994–95, 1995–96 | ||
| Monaco | 1 | 3 | 2012–13 | 2005–06, 2009–10, 2021–22 |
| Metz | 1 | 2 | 2000–01 | 1993–94, 1995–96 |
| Sochaux | 1 | 1 | 2002–03 | 1997–98 |
| Nice | 1 | 1 | 2003–04 | 2001–02 |
| Saint-Étienne | 1 | 1 | 1996–97 | 2006–07 |
| Montpellier | 1 | 1 | 2017–18 | 2018–19 |
| Strasbourg | 1 | 1991–92 | ||
| Guingamp | 1 | 2007–08 | ||
| Lens | 1 | 2008–09 | ||
| Tours | 1 | 2013–14 | ||
| Reims | 1 | 2014–15 | ||
| Le Havre | 2 | 2007–08, 2016–17 | ||
| Caen | 2 | 1999–2000, 2017–18 | ||
| Toulouse | 1 | 1991–92 | ||
| Nancy | 1 | 1992–93 | ||
| INF Clairefontaine | 1 | 1994–95 | ||
| FC Lyon | 1 | 1996–97 | ||
| Grenoble | 1 | 2010–11 | ||
| Thonon Évian | 1 | 2013–14 |
- "Une réforme prête à l'emploi". 18 May 2009.
- "CHAMPIONNAT NATIONAL U19, ANCIEN 18 ANS JUSQU'EN 2008-2009 ET 17 ANS JUSQU'EN 2001-02". French Football Federation (in French). 11 May 2012. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- Foot, hebdomadaire de la FFF, 29 May 1996.
- "CHAMPIONNAT NATIONAL U17, ANCIEN 16 ANS JUSQU'EN 2008-2009 ET 15 ANS JUSQU'EN 2001-02". French Football Federation (in French). 10 May 2012. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- "REGLEMENT DES CHAMPIONNATS NATIONAUX DE JEUNES SAISON 2016-2017" (PDF). French Football Federation (in French). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 July 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- "CHAMPIONNAT U19 NATIONAL". ESA Brive (in French). Footeo. 27 May 2016. Archived from the original on 2017-03-07. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- "UEFA Youth League: How the new system will work". UEFA. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- "Championnat National U19". Global Sports Archive. Archived from the original on 2021-03-02. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- Website
- Championnat National U19 on Soccerway