LFH Division 1 Féminine
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2022–23 LFH Division 1 Féminine
SportHandball
Founded1951 (1951)
No. of teams14
CountryFrance
ConfederationEHF
Most recent
champion(s)		Metz Handball
(2022–23)
Most titlesMetz Handball
(25 titles)
TV partner(s)Moselle TV (Metz)
Tébéo (Brest)
Streaming partner(s)Handball TV
Relegation toDivision 2 (D2F)
Domestic cup(s)Coupe de France
International cup(s)Champions League
EHF European League
Official websiteligue-feminine-handball.fr

LFH Division 1 Féminine, known for sponsorship reasons as Ligue Butagaz Énergie, is the premier women's handball league in France. It is overseen by the Ligue Féminine de Handball (LFH), the governing body of French women's professional handball, under delegation from the French Handball Federation (FFHB). Founded in 1952, it is currently contested by twelve teams.

Metz Handball has dominated the championship in recent times with 25 titles between 1989 and 2023 including a 6-year winning streak, while US Ivry and Paris UC were the most successful teams in past decades with nine and five titles respectively.[1]

As of 2022:

Participating teams

2023–24 teams

Location of the LFH Division 1 Féminine 2022–23 teams
Club City Region of France Rank 2022-23
ESBF Besançon Besançon Bourgogne-Franche-Comté 6th
Brest Bretagne Handball Brest Brittany 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Chambray Touraine Handball Chambray-lès-Tours Centre-Val de Loire 4th
JDA Dijon Bourgogne Handball Dijon Bourgogne-Franche-Comté 5th
Metz Handball Metz Grand Est 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Mérignac Handball Mérignac Nouvelle-Aquitaine 13th
Neptunes de Nantes Nantes Pays de la Loire 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
OGC Nice Nice Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur 8th
Paris 92 Issy-les-Moulineaux Île-de-France 7th
Handball Plan-de-Cuques Plan-de-Cuques Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur 9th
Saint-Amand Handball Saint-Amand-les-Eaux Hauts-de-France 11th
Stella Saint-Maur Handball Saint-Maur-des-Fossés Île-de-France 14 1st VAP (Division 2)
SATH (Strasbourg Achenheim Truchtersheim Handball) Achenheim, Truchtersheim Grand Est 14 2nd VAP (Division 2)
Toulon Var Métropole Handball Toulon Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur 12th

Personnel and kits

Club Manager Captain Kit manufacturer
ESBF Besançon France Sébastien Mizoule France Pauline Robert France Le Coq Sportif
Brest Bretagne France Pablo Morel Sweden Jenny Carlson Sweden Craft
Chambray Touraine France Mathieu Lanfranchi Serbia Jovana Stoiljković Italy Kappa
JDA Dijon France Christophe Mazel France Sarah Valero Jodar Italy Erreà
Metz HB France Emmanuel Mayonnade France Chloé Valentini Germany Kempa
Mérignac HB France Christophe Chagnard France Julie Dazet Sweden Craft
Neptunes de Nantes Denmark Helle Thomsen France Tamara Horacek Sweden Craft
OGC Nice France Clément Alcacer Egypt Ehsan Abdelmalek Denmark Hummel
Paris 92 France Yacine Messaoudi France Méline Nocandy France Le Coq Sportif
Plan-de-Cuques France Angélique Spincer France Aurélie Goubel Germany Puma
Saint-Amand HB Hungary Edina Borsos Szabó France Romane Frécon-Demouge Germany Kempa
Stella Saint-Maur France Rémi Sanson France Pauline Plotton Germany Puma
SATH Czech Republic Jan Bašný France Dalila Abdesselam Germany Erima
Toulon France Joël da Silva France Manon Loquay Denmark Hummel
Notes :
  • Bourg-de-Péage Drôme Handball got dissolved in the middle of the 2022-23 season (financial insolvency).
  • HBC Celles-sur-Belle ranked 10th at the end of 2022-23 and thus earned the sports right to keep playing in Division 1. However FFHandball's financial audit board relegated the club to Division 2 administratively.
    • Mérignac Handball, which ranked last (13th) and was relegated to Division 2, applied to take HBC Celles-sur-Belle's place in Division 1. Despite also suffering from financial problems, their appeal to be saved from relegation was accepted late by the federation, on Day 3 of the season.[2]


Competition format

All 14 teams play each other twice during the season (home and away matches – 26 competition days). At the end of the season, the best ranked team is declared "Champion de France" and is granted a spot in the EHF Champions League's group stage.[3]

The last ranked team (14th) is relegated to the lower echelon of women's handball Division 2 Féminine (D2F) and replaced by the top-ranked D2F team that possesses the VAP status.

Teams receive three points for a win, two points for a draw and one point for a loss.

European qualification

Currently the Champion of France is granted a spot in the EHF Champions League's group stage.[3] Runner-up is qualified for the EHF European League but is able to apply for a wildcard (upgrade) to participate in the Champions League. The winner of the Coupe de France is qualified for the EHF European League. If a qualified team declines to participate in the European League, the next best-ranked team in the league can apply to take their place. A number of the league's other top teams are eligible to participate in European competitions.

The number of teams per national federation qualified for European competitions (EHF Champions League and EHF European League) is determined by a federation's EHF coefficient and EHF rank. Each year, the EHF publishes a ranking that announces the place attribution for the following season (number of teams for each Federation in the various competitions).

For the 2023/24 season, the system changed.[4] The coefficients and ranks were not determined by the overall performance of a federation, as it used to be. The performances are separated by competitions (e.g.: good performance by french teams in the Champions League would not allocate more places for french teams in the European League). Thus, the new system includes separate rankings for the Champions League and the European League.

Place distribution for 2023/24 Women's EHF Club competitions - France's place attribution:[5]

The Champions League has 7 other spots open for clubs that are not national champions but have qualified for the European League (1 spot for the best seeded Federation of the EHF EL and 6 spots open for upgrades).[5] The EHF European League has 8 spots open in for upgrades.

A club needs to fulfill set technical and organizational or administrative requirements to be able to play in European competitions (finances, adequate playing hall, etc.).

List of champions

Note - former names of clubs:

Season Nr Edition Winner Second or finalist Third or semi-finalist
1951-1952 41 1 École Simon-Siégel (1) Paris UC Fémina Sport et CA Saint-Fons
1952-1953 2 École Simon-Siégel (2) - -
1953-1954 3 École Simon-Siégel (3) - -
1954-1955 4 Bordeaux EC (1) - -
1955-1956 5 Stade français (1) - -
1956-1957 6 CSA Molière - -
1957-1958[6] 7 US Ivry (1) École Simon-Siégel -
1958-1959[7] 8 US Ivry (2) Paris UC -
1959-1960[8] 9 US Ivry (3) Bordeaux EC -
1960-1961[9] 10 SNUC Atlantique École Simon-Siégel -
1961-1962[10] 11 Bordeaux EC (2) US Ivry -
1962-1963[11] 12 US Ivry (4) École Simon-Siégel -
1963-1964[12][13] 13 US Ivry (5) CA Saint-Fons École Simon-Siégel et Stade français
1964-1965 14 ES Colombes (1) US Ivry -
1965-1966 15 ES Colombes (2) US Ivry -
1966-1967 20 16 Stade Marseillais UC ES Colombes US Ivry et Stade Nantes UCA
1967-1968 17 ES Colombes (3) US Ivry -
1968-1969 18 US Ivry (6) Stade français -
1969-1970 19 US Ivry (7) Paris UC -
1970-1971[14] 20 Stella Saint-Maur Paris UC Bordeaux EC & Stade français
1971-1972[15] 21 Stade pessacais UC ASUL Vaulx-en-Velin -
1972-1973 16 22 ASUL Vaulx-en-Velin ES Colombes Bordeaux EC & SNUC
1973-1974[16] 23 US Ivry (8) Paris UC Pessac & Stade français
1974-1975 24 Paris UC (1) ASUL Vaulx-en-Velin -
1975-1976 25 Paris UC (2) US Ivry -
1976-1977 26 US Ivry (9) Bordeaux EC -
1977-1978 27 Paris UC (3) US Ivry -
1978-1979[17] 28 Troyes OS Paris UC -
1979-1980 20 29 Paris UC (4) PLM Conflans ASU Lyon & Troyes OS
1980-1981 18 30 Paris UC (5) PLM Conflans Racing Club de France
1981-1982 18 31 US Dunkerque Paris UC PLM Conflans
1982-1983 18 32 Bordeaux EC (3) Paris UC ASU Lyon
1983-1984 18 33 Stade français (2) US Dunkerque ES Besançon
1984-1985 10 34 USM Gagny (1) ASUL Vaulx-en-Velin Bordeaux Étudiants Club
1985-1986 10 35 Stade français Issy-les-Moulineaux (3) USM Gagny ES Besançon
1986-1987 10 36 USM Gagny 93 (2) Stade français Issy-les-Moulineaux ES Besançon
1987-1988 10 37 ES Besançon (1) Stade français Issy-les-Moulineaux USM Gagny
1988-1989 12 38 ASPTT Metz (1) USM Gagny 93 ES Besançon
1989-1990 12 39 ASPTT Metz (2) USM Gagny 93 ASUL Vaulx-en-Velin
1990-1991 12 40 USM Gagny 93 (3) ASPTT Metz CSL Dijon
1991-1992 12 41 USM Gagny 93 (4) ASPTT Metz -
1992-1993 12 42 ASPTT Metz (3) USM Gagny 93 CSL Dijon
1993-1994 12 43 ASPTT Metz (4) USM Gagny 93 AL Bouillargues
1994-1995 10 44 ASPTT Metz (5) Stade béthunois Stade français Issy-les-Moulineaux
1995-1996 10 45 ASPTT Metz (6) ES Besançon Stade français Issy-les-Moulineaux
1996-1997 10 46 ASPTT Metz (7) ES Besançon ASUL Vaulx-en-Velin
1997-1998 10 47 ES Besançon (2) ASPTT Metz ASUL Vaulx-en-Velin
1998-1999 10 48 ASPTT Metz (8) ES Besançon HBC Nîmes
1999-2000 10 49 ASPTT Metz (9) ES Besançon SA Mérignacais
2000-2001 12 50 ES Besançon (3) ASPTT Metz Sun A.L. Bouillargues
2001-2002 12 51 ASPTT Metz (10) ES Besançon Cercle Dijon Bourgogne
2002-2003 12 52 ES Besançon (4) ASPTT Metz Cercle Dijon Bourgogne
2003-2004 12 53 HB Metz métropole (11) ES Besançon CJF Fleury-les-Aubrais
2004-2005 12 54 HB Metz métropole (12) ES Besançon CJF Fleury-les-Aubrais
2005-2006 12 55 HB Metz métropole (13) Le Havre AC Mérignac Handball
2006-2007 12 56 HB Metz métropole (14) Le Havre AC Cercle Dijon Bourgogne
2007-2008 12 57 HB Metz métropole (15) Le Havre AC Issy-les-Moulineaux
2008-2009 11 58 Metz Handball (16) Le Havre AC HBC Nîmes
2009-2010 10 59 Toulon Saint-Cyr VHB Le Havre AC Metz Handball
2010-2011 11 60 Metz Handball (17) Arvor 29 Toulon Saint-Cyr VHB
2011-2012 10 61 Arvor 29 Issy Paris Hand Metz Handball
2012-2013 10 63 Metz Handball (18) CJF Fleury-les-Aubrais Issy Paris Hand
2013-2014 10 63 Metz Handball (19) Issy Paris Hand Le Havre AC
2014-2015 10 64 CJF Fleury Loiret Handball Issy Paris Hand Metz Handball
2015-2016 10 65 Metz Handball (20) CJF Fleury-les-Aubrais Issy Paris Hand
2016-2017 11 66 Metz Handball (21) Brest Bretagne Handball Issy Paris Hand
2017-2018 12 67 Metz Handball (22) Brest Bretagne Handball ES Besançon
2018-2019 12 68 Metz Handball (23) OGC Nice Handball Brest Bretagne Handball
2019-2020 12 69 Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Brest and Metz were 1st ex-aequo.
2020-2021 14 70 Brest Bretagne Handball (2) Metz Handball ES Besançon
2021-2022 14 71 Metz Handball (24) Brest Bretagne Handball Paris 92
2022-2023 14 72 Metz Handball (25) Brest Bretagne Handball Neptunes de Nantes

Performance by club

Rank Club Titles Winning seasons
1Metz Handball 10 titres 10 titres251989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002,
2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016,
2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 & 2023
2US Ivry91958, 1959, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1969, 1970, 1974 & 1977
3Paris UC51975, 1976, 1978, 1980 & 1981
4ES Colombes / CSA Molière41957, 1965, 1966 & 1968
USM Gagny1985, 1987, 1991 & 1992
ES Besançon1988, 1998, 2001 & 2003
6École Simon-Siégel31952, 1953 & 1954
Bordeaux EC1955, 1962 & 1983
Stade français Issy-les-Moulineaux1956, 1984 & 1986
10Brest Bretagne Handball22012 & 2021
11Stade Nantais UC11961
Stade Marseillais UC1967
Stella Saint-Maur1971
Stade Pessacais UC1972
ASUL Vaulx-en-Velin1973
Troyes OS1979
US Dunkerque1982
Toulon Saint-Cyr Var HB2010
CJF Fleury Loiret Handball2015
-not awarded12020
Total731951-2023
Legend :
  • 10 titres 10 titles won
  • Bold indicates clubs that are still playing in the top league

Medal table

Team Gold Silver Bronze
Metz Handball 10 titres 10 titres 25 6 3
US Ivry 9 8 1
Paris UC 5 8 0
ES Besançon 4 7 6
USM Gagny 93 4 5 1
ES Colombes 4 2 0
Stade français Issy-les-Moulineaux 3 3 5
École Simon-Siégel 3 3 1
Bordeaux EC 3 2 3
Brest Bretagne Handball 2 5 1
ASUL Vaulx-en-Velin 1 3 5
Fleury Loiret Handball 1 2 2
US Dunkerque 1 1 0
SNUC Atlantique 1 0 2
Toulon Métropole Var Handball 1 0 1
Troyes OS 1 0 1
Stade pessacais UC 1 0 1
Stade Marseillais UC 1 0 0
Stella Saint-Maur 1 0 0
Le Havre AC 0 5 1
Paris 92 0 3 5
PLM Conflans 0 2 1
CA Saint-Fons 0 1 1
OGC Nice Handball 0 1 0
Stade béthunois 0 1 0
JDA Dijon Bourgogne HB 0 0 5
HBC Nîmes 0 0 2
Sun A.L. Bouillargues 0 0 2
Mérignac Handball 0 0 2
Neptunes de Nantes 0 0 1
Fémina Sport 0 0 1
Racing Club de France 0 0 1

Media coverage

Free

Pay-to-watch

"Handball TV": For the 2022-23 handball season, the French Federation of Handball launched its own subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service:

  • It re-broadcasts the live feeds of free TV channels (that broadcast matches).
  • it also broadcasts live some exclusive matches produced by the platform and TV channel BeIN Sports (since 2023-24, the channel broadcasts the biggest fixture of a match day).
  • VODs (replays) of most broadcast matches.

Free TV channel Sport en France used to broadcast some matches (BeIN Sports took the official broadcaster slot since 2023-24).

Notable foreign players

List of foreign players who previously played or currently play in the LFH Division 1 Féminine. Bold indicate players currently playing in the league (2023/2024).
Algeria
Angola
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belarus
Belgium
  • Belgium Nele Antonissen
Brazil
Cameroon
Croatia
Cuba
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Denmark
Egypt
Germany
Hungary
Iceland
Italy
  • Italy Irene Fanton
Ivory Coast
Japan
Montenegro
Netherlands
North Macedonia
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Republic of Congo
Romania
Russia
Senegal
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Tunisia
Ukraine

EHF league ranking

EHF League Ranking for 2022/23 season:[18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ List of champions Archived 2016-05-26 at the Wayback Machine in handseven.fr
  2. ↑ "Mérignac, un repêchage à retardement".
  3. 1 2 2011-12 results in EHF's website
  4. ↑ "EHF improves club competitions ranking system". European Handball Federation. 27 September 2022.
  5. 1 2 "Place distribution for 2023/24 Women's EHF Club competitions" (PDF).
  6. ↑ "Palmarès 1957-1958" (pdf). Centre de ressources documentaires de la FFHB]. Fédération Française de Handball. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  7. ↑ "Palmarès 1958-1959" (pdf). Centre de ressources documentaires de la FFHB]. Fédération française de handball. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  8. ↑ "Palmarès 1959-1960" (pdf). Centre de ressources documentaires de la FFHB]. Fédération française de handball. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  9. ↑ "Palmarès 1960-1961" (pdf). Centre de ressources documentaires de la FFHB]. Fédération française de handball. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  10. ↑ "Palmarès 1961-1962" (pdf). Centre de ressources documentaires de la FFHB]. Fédération française de handball. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  11. ↑ "Palmarès 1962-1963" (pdf). Centre de ressources documentaires de la FFHB]. Fédération française de handball. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  12. ↑ "Saison 1963-1964, demi-finales". March 1964. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Saison 1963-1964, finale". May 1964. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Palmarès 1970-1971 : Stella Sports bat PUC 8-6". Fédération française de handball. March 1971. pp. 1 et 9. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Palmarès 1971-1972 : Stade Pessacais U.C. : une saison, un titre !!". Fédération française de handball. April 1972. p. 14. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Ivry s'adjuge le titre féminin 1974". Fédération française de handball. June 1974. p. 10. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  17. ↑ "Troyes champion de France de Nationale I féminine 1978/79". Fédération française de handball. August 1979. p. 14. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  18. ↑ "2021/22 season ranking" (PDF). European Handball Federation. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
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