2020–21 Championnat National 2

Championnat National 2
Season2020–21
Dates22 August 2020 – 23 April 2021
ChampionsNone
PromotedNone
RelegatedNone
Biggest home winReims (res) 5–0 Schiltigheim
Group B, Round 4, 5 September 2020
GOAL FC 6–1 Monaco (res)
Group C, Round 7, 26 September 2020
Andrézieux 5–0 Hyères
Group C, Round 8, 10 October 2020
Bourges 18 5–0 Angoulême
Group D, Round 8, 10 October 2020
Biggest away winMont-de-Marsan 0–4 Bourges Foot
Group D, Round 5, 12 September 2020
Highest scoring7 goals
GOAL FC 6–1 Monaco (res)
Group C, Round 7, 26 September 2020
Plabennec 4–3 Poissy
Group A, Round 8, 10 October 2020
All statistics correct as of 14:32, 23 April 2021 (UTC).

The 2020–21 Championnat National 2 is the 23rd season of the fourth tier in the French football league system in its current format. This season the competition is being contested by 64 clubs split geographically across four groups of 16 teams. The teams included amateur clubs (although a few are semi-professional) and the reserve teams of professional clubs.

After a suspension starting in October 2020 and a proposal in February 2021 to change the format, the season was declared void by the FFF on 23 April 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in France.

Teams

On 17 July 2020, the FFF ratified the constitution of the competition, and published the groups as follows:[1]

On 27 July 2020, the Appeals committee of the DNCG confirmed that Athlético Marseille would be allowed to play in Championnat National 2, although no decision was made which group they would be placed in.[3] Three days later, the disciplinary committee of the FFF announced that they were demoting the club back to National 3, due to the production of fraudulent documentation at the end of the 2018–19 season.[4]

Impact of COVID-19 on the season

The start of the season was impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 situation. Two game-week one matches, between Jura Sud Foot and Saint-Priest, and Bourges 18 and Le Puy were postponed due to a number of positive COVID-19 tests at Jura Sud Foot and Bourges 18.[5][6] The game-week two match between Marignane-Gignac and Jura Sud Foot was also postponed.[7]

Jura Sud Foot had a third postponement in game-week three, with the match against Rumilly-Vallières being called off.[8] Their game-week four game against Louhans-Cuiseaux was initially postponed by one day to Sunday 6 September, against the wishes of the club, who wanted it postponed due to the team having not trained for 15 days.[9] The FFF insisted the game go ahead, but Jura Sud Foot turned out just eight players, and a first-minute injury caused the game to be abandoned by the referee.[10]

Two other Group C games in game-week four were also postponed: Andrézieux-Bouthéon v Monaco (res) and Toulon v Marseille (res).[11][12]

Game-week 5 games between Angers (res) and Le Puy in Group D and between Marseille (res) and Saint-Priest in Group C were postponed,[13][14] as were Game-week 6 games between Châteaubriant and Poissy, and between Le Puy and Nantes (res), due to both visiting teams having positive case.[15] Jura Sud Foot suffered their fourth postponement of the season when their game-week 6 match at Grasse was postponed due to the home team having positive cases.[16] Haguenau versus Bobigny in the same game-week was also postponed due to a positive case for the home team.[17]

Three game-week 7 matches in Group C were postponed, featuring Hyères, Grasse, Martigues, Toulon, Olympic Marseille (res) and Rumilly-Vallières.[18][19] Eight games across groups A, B and C were postponed in game-week 9.[20]

On 28 October 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a second COVID-19 lockdown, including the suspension of all amateur football, for four weeks.[21] The following day, the FFF confirmed the suspension of senior football at all levels below Championnat National.[22]

On 18 February 2021, the FFF announced that the competition would resume in full on 13 March 2021, with any previously postponed games able to take place a week earlier on 6 March, and also on 27 February for clubs no longer involved in the Coupe de France.[23][24] On 3 March 2021, after just five rearranged matches had been played, Roxana Mărăcineanu, the Minister of Sports, walked back the decision to allow resumption on the grounds of a degrading health situation.[25]

Change to format of the competition

On 22 February 2021, the FFF announce a change to the format of the competition, due to insufficient time to complete the remaining scheduled fixtures. The first half of the tournament, consisting of each team playing each other team in the group once, for a total of fifteen games each, will complete on 24 April. Between 8 May and 12 June, in each group the top 8 clubs will play in a group round-robin to decide promotion, and the bottom 8 clubs will play in a group round-robin to decide relegation.[26] Points from the first phase will be carried forward to the promotion and relegation groups.[27]

Voiding of the competition

On 23 April 2021, the COMEX (executive committee) of the FFF announced the end of the Championnat National 2 season due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation. The announcement also confirmed no promotions or relegations would take place, with the season void.[28]

League tables

The league standings are a record of the games that took place before the competition was declared void.

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Saint-Pryvé 8 6 2 0 12 3 +9 20
2 Châteaubriant 9 4 4 1 12 8 +4 16
3 Sainte-Geneviève 9 4 4 1 10 6 +4 16
4 SM Caen (res) 9 4 3 2 10 7 +3 15
5 Fleury 9 3 4 2 7 6 +1 13
6 Chartres 9 3 3 3 13 11 +2 12
7 Granville[a] 9 3 3 3 6 8 −2 12
8 Plabennec 9 3 3 3 11 13 −2 12
9 Rouen 8 2 4 2 4 4 0 10
10 Versailles 9 3 1 5 11 13 −2 10
11 Guingamp (res) 9 1 6 2 7 9 −2 9
12 Lorient (res) 9 1 6 2 5 8 −3 9
13 Saint-Malo 9 1 5 3 8 10 −2 8
14 Blois 8 2 2 4 11 15 −4 8
15 Vannes 8 2 2 4 9 10 −1 8
16 Poissy 9 1 2 6 8 13 −5 5
Updated to match(es) played on 28 October 2020. Source: foot-national.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head results; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) goal difference; 5) number of goals scored; 6) fair play points; 7) draw
Notes:
  1. ^ Granville were penalised for fielding a suspended player in the game against Poissy on 12 September 2020. The game originally ended in a 2–1 win for Granville, but has now been awarded to Poissy 3–0.[29]

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Paris 13 Atletico 9 4 4 1 10 4 +6 16
2 Épinal 8 5 0 3 10 8 +2 15
3 Haguenau 9 3 5 1 9 6 +3 14
4 FC 93 8 4 2 2 8 10 −2 14
5 Metz (res) 8 4 1 3 9 7 +2 13
6 Saint-Maur 8 4 1 3 13 7 +6 13
7 Beauvais 9 3 4 2 12 9 +3 13
8 Auxerre (res) 9 3 4 2 13 13 0 13
9 Lens (res)[a] 8 4 2 2 12 14 −2 13
10 Gazélec Ajaccio (R) 9 3 3 3 12 9 +3 12 Relegation to National 3
11 Belfort 9 3 3 3 12 10 +2 12
12 Sedan 8 2 5 1 7 6 +1 11
13 Reims (res) 9 2 3 4 15 12 +3 9
14 L'Entente SSG 9 2 1 6 8 13 −5 7
15 Schiltigheim 9 1 2 6 5 20 −15 5
16 Saint-Quentin 9 0 4 5 6 13 −7 4
Updated to match(es) played on 28 FebRuary 2021. Source: foot-national.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head results; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) goal difference; 5) number of goals scored; 6) fair play points; 7) draw
(R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Lens (res) were penalised for a currently unpublished infringement in the game against Paris 13 Atletico on 28 August 2020. The game finished 0–3, so remained unchanged. Lens (res) were deducted a penalty point.

Group C

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Aubagne 9 5 2 2 15 10 +5 17
2 GOAL FC 9 5 2 2 18 10 +8 17
3 Toulon 9 5 1 3 15 8 +7 16
4 Martigues 8 5 1 2 15 9 +6 16
5 Fréjus Saint-Raphaël 8 4 3 1 9 2 +7 15
6 Andrézieux 9 4 2 3 15 11 +4 14
7 Hyères 9 4 1 4 10 12 −2 13
8 Grasse 8 3 3 2 10 6 +4 12
9 Saint-Priest 9 2 6 1 14 14 0 12
10 Lyon (res) 9 2 4 3 12 14 −2 10
11 Rumilly-Vallières 9 2 4 3 11 14 −3 10
12 Monaco (res) 9 2 2 5 9 18 −9 8
13 Louhans-Cuiseaux 8 2 2 4 11 12 −1 8
14 Jura Sud Foot[a] 7 1 3 3 9 12 −3 6
15 Olympic Marseille (res) 9 1 3 5 6 17 −11 6
16 Marignane Gignac 9 1 3 5 9 19 −10 6
Updated to match(es) played on 27 February 2021. Source: foot-national.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head results; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) goal difference; 5) number of goals scored; 6) fair play points; 7) draw
Notes:
  1. ^ On 6 September 2020, Jura Sud Foot were due to play at Louhans-Cuiseaux. Due to COVID-19 cases, they requested the game be postponed. The FFF denied the request. Jura Sud Foot attended the game with only 8 players. In the first minute of the game, a player was injured and couldn't continue, causing the referee to abandon it. On 14 September 2020, the FFF penalised Jura Sud Foot, awarding Louhans-Cuiseaux a 3–0 win and deducting a point from Jura Sud Foot.[10][30] On 26 October 2020 it was announced that Jura Sud Foot had successfully appealed the penalty, and the match was to be replayed.[31]

Group D

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Béziers 9 6 3 0 15 5 +10 21
2 Trélissac 9 4 5 0 13 5 +8 17
3 Le Puy 8 4 4 0 12 4 +8 16
4 Colomiers 9 4 4 1 7 4 +3 16
5 Romorantin 8 4 2 2 10 3 +7 14
6 Les Herbiers 9 4 2 3 11 5 +6 14
7 Angers (res) 9 3 4 2 11 12 −1 13
8 Moulins Yzeure 9 2 5 2 10 7 +3 11
9 Bourges Foot (M) 8 3 2 3 11 7 +4 11 Merged after the season
10 Nantes (res) 9 2 4 3 6 10 −4 10
11 Bergerac 8 2 4 2 9 7 +2 10
12 Canet Roussillon 9 2 4 3 9 10 −1 10
13 Chamalières 9 2 4 3 5 8 −3 10
14 Angoulême 9 1 3 5 5 21 −16 6
15 Bourges 18 (M) 9 1 0 8 10 19 −9 3 Merged after the season
16 Mont-de-Marsan 9 0 2 7 2 19 −17 2
Updated to match(es) played on 27 February 2021. Source: foot-national.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head results; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) goal difference; 5) number of goals scored; 6) fair play points; 7) draw
(M) Merged after the season

Top scorers

As of 28 October 2020.[1][2][3][4]
Rank Player Club Goals
1 England Reo Griffiths Lyon (res) 6
France Sébastien Persico Chartres
France Issouf Macalou GOAL FC
France Lassine Sinayoko Auxerre (res)
France Manuel Delgado Toulon
Algeria Souleiman Djabour Andrézieux
France Alexy Bosetti Le Puy
8 Belgium David Pollet Gazélec Ajaccio 5
France Esteban Lepaul Épinal
Guinea Fode Guirassy Béziers
France Samy Baghdadi Grasse
France Dramane Sissoko Hyères

References

  1. ^ "N2 : les groupes de la saison 2020-2021 dévoilés" (in French). foot-national.com. 17 July 2020.
  2. ^ "DNCG : Un second club rétrogradé en N3, le bilan de la semaine" (in French). foot-national.com. 16 June 2020.
  3. ^ "L'Athlético Marseille est intégré en National 2" (in French). footamateur.fr. 27 July 2020.
  4. ^ "L'Athlético Marseille de nouveau rétrogradé en National 3" (in French). footamateur.fr. 30 July 2020.
  5. ^ "Jura Sud-Saint Priest reporté" (in French). foot-national.com. 21 August 2020.
  6. ^ "N2 : une première rencontre reportée (off)" (in French). foot-national.com. 20 August 2020.
  7. ^ "N2 : Le match Marignane-Gignac/Jura Sud reporté" (in French). foot-national.com. 26 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Edmond Perrier, président de Jura-Sud : "Je trouve ça totalement scandaleux"" (in French). foot-national.com. 3 September 2020.
  9. ^ "N2 (C) : Une rencontre reportée à dimanche" (in French). foot-national.com. 4 September 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Louhans-Cuiseaux/Jura Sud : Le match arrêté par l'arbitre au bout d'une minute" (in French). foot-national.com. 6 September 2020.
  11. ^ "N2 : Une rencontre reportée (off)" (in French). foot-national.com. 5 September 2020.
  12. ^ "N2 : une rencontre reportée en raison du Covid" (in French). foot-national.com. 4 September 2020.
  13. ^ "N2 : une nouvelle rencontre reportée (off)" (in French). foot-national.com. 11 September 2020.
  14. ^ "National, N2, N3, U19 : la liste des matches reportés du week-end" (in French). foot-national.com. 11 September 2020.
  15. ^ "National 2. Deux premiers matchs reportés pour cause de Covid-19" (in French). footamateur.fr. 18 September 2020.
  16. ^ "N2 : Nouveau match reporté !" (in French). foot-national.com. 18 September 2020.
  17. ^ "National 2 (B). Le SAS Epinal nouveau leader devant le Gazelec Ajaccio" (in French). footamateur.fr. 19 September 2020.
  18. ^ "N2 : deux matches reportés pour des cas de Covid ce samedi" (in French). foot-national.com. 25 September 2020.
  19. ^ "N2 (C) : OM (B) – Rumilly Vallières est Reporté" (in French). actufoot.com. 25 September 2020.
  20. ^ "Foot Amateur : la liste des reports en N2 et N3" (in French). foot-national.com. 24 October 2020.
  21. ^ "Foot Amateur : Les annonces fortes d'Emmanuel Macron !" (in French). foot-national.com. 28 October 2020.
  22. ^ "FFF : Officiel, les championnats et la coupe de France s'arrêtent pour le foot amateur" (in French). foot-national.com. 29 October 2020.
  23. ^ "N2 : la date de reprise est connue !" (in French). foot-national.com. 18 February 2021.
  24. ^ "La FFF annonce la reprise officielle du N2 !" (in French). foot-national.com. 18 February 2021.
  25. ^ "Le ministère officialise l'arrêt définitif de la N2 et de la D2F" (in French). footamateur.fr. 4 March 2021.
  26. ^ "National 2. Le calendrier et les modalités de la fin de saison" (in French). footamateur.fr. 22 February 2021.
  27. ^ "N2 : le règlement pour la fin de saison" (in French). footamateur.fr. 1 March 2021.
  28. ^ "La FFF a décidé d'arrêter les championnats de National 2 et D2 Féminine" (in French). footamateur.fr. 23 April 2021.
  29. ^ "Football : l'US Granville perd un match de National 2 sur tapis vert" (in French). actu.fr. 16 October 2020.
  30. ^ "Affaire Louhans Cuiseaux - Jura Sud : La FFF rend sa décision (off)" (in French). foot-national.com. 14 September 2020.
  31. ^ "Louhans-Cuiseaux - Jura Sud : vers un match à rejouer" (in French). foot-national.com. 26 October 2020.