The 2016–17 Ligue 2 (referred to as the Domino's Ligue 2 for sponsorship reasons) season is the 78th season since its establishment. The fixtures were announced on 6 June 2016.

Teams

There are 20 teams in the league, with three promoted teams from Championnat National replacing the three teams that were relegated from Ligue 2 following the 2015–16 season. All clubs that secured Ligue 2 status for the season were subject to approval by the DNCG before becoming eligible to participate.

As of 30 May 2016, the following teams have mathematically achieved qualification for the 2016–17 season. They are listed below in alphabetical order.

Ajaccio Amiens Auxerre Bourg-en-Bresse Brest Clermont Gazélec Ajaccio Laval Le Havre Lens Nîmes Niort Orléans Red Star Reims Sochaux Strasbourg Tours Troyes Valenciennes

Title & Promotion run Going into the final day of the season, 6 teams had a chance of getting promoted and winning the title. Strasbourg, Brest, Troyes, Lens, Nîmes and Amiens all had a chance at winning the league and gaining promotion.

Title run-in All matches were at the same time. The matches were Strasbourg v. Bourg Péronnas, Reims v. Amiens, Nimes v. Laval, Lens v. Niort, Brest v. GFC Ajaccio and Troyes v. Sochaux.

The teams last season in Ligue 1 Strasbourg last played in the 2008, Nimes in 1993, Lens in 2015, ESTAC Troyes in 2016 and Brest in 2013. Amiens is still the only team of the five others who never completes the top-tier.

Table

First Half Lens scored the first goal thanks to Kermit Erasmus against Niort in the 7th minute and climb to the first place. Later, Aboubakar Kamara opened the scoring for Amiens in the 9th minute and took the first place to Lens, Cristian Lopez scored the 2–0 lead for Lens in the 15th minute. At the same time, Kader Mangane opened the scoring for Strasbourg and climb to the first place they will keep permanently. On the 18th minute, an own goal of Bourg-en-Bresse defender Kévin Hoggas will granting a 2–0 lead for the Alsacian club. On 23rd and 40th minutes respectively, Florent Ogier and Florian Tardieu scored goals against Troyes. Earlier, Brest scored three goals in the span of six minutes, which dropped Troyes to fifth place. Yoane Wissa scored for Laval to make it 1-0.

As It Stands in Half Time

Second Half On the 52nd minute, Olivier Kemen scored for GFC Ajaccio. Sada Thioub scored the equalizer-goal for Reims in the 57th minute. One minute later, Andé Dona Ndoh reduced the score for Niort via a penalty. Two minutes later, Stéphane Darbion reduced the score for Troyes. Two minutes later, Diego Rigonato scored the equalizer-goal for Reims and dropped Amiens to the fourth place, granting a promotion play-off. Habib Diallo scored earlier for Brest following by a goal of Cristian Battocchio in the 72nd minute. Cristian Battocchio scored two goals in the 72nd and 85th minutes respectively. Benjamin Nivet scored the equalizer goal in the 77th minute. On the 87th minute, Téji Tedy Savanier scored the winning goal for Nimes, but Samuel Grandsir scored a vital goal for Troyes that could secure promotion and dropped Lens to promotion play-off. Cristian López scored another goal to Lens in the stoppage time.

Last seconds table

But a dramatical last-minute goal thanks to Amiens striker, Emmanuel Bourgaud in the last minute of the injury time grants Amiens to climb in the second place and earning their first Ligue 1 season ever, it forced Troyes to completes the promotion play-off against Lorient and Lens a fourth place, and a remaining in the second-tier.

Final table

Outcome After the final matchday, Strasbourg won the title and were promoted alongside Amiens and later, Troyes joined them by beating Lorient. They replaced the latter, AS Nancy Lorraine & SC Bastia, but SC Bastia themselves got demoted to the newly renamed Championnat National 3 after getting relegated to the Championnat National originally because their finances weren’t high enough.

Reviews It was the closest title race ever according to a FourFourTwo website.

Aftermath On 2023, French channel Remontada uploaded a video about that title race. They also highlighted the winning goal.

Team changes

To Ligue 2 Promoted from National Strasbourg Orléans Amiens Relegated from Ligue 1 Troyes Gazélec Ajaccio Reims

From Ligue 2 Relegated to National Evian TG Paris FC Créteil Promoted to Ligue 1 Nancy Dijon Metz

Stadia and locations

Club Location Venue CapacityAjaccioStade François Coty 10,660AmiensStade de la Licorne 12,097AuxerreStade de l'Abbé-Deschamps 21,379Bourg-en-BresseStade Marcel-Verchère 11,400BrestStade Francis-Le Blé 15,097Clermont-FerrandStade Gabriel Montpied 11,980AjaccioStade Ange Casanova 6,000LavalStade Francis Le Basser 18,607Le HavreStade Océane 25,000Lens Stade Bollaert-Delelis 38,223NîmesStade des Costières 18,482NiortStade René Gaillard 10,886OrléansStade de la Source 7,000Saint-OuenStade Jean-Bouin 1 20,000ReimsStade Auguste Delaune 21,684MontbéliardStade Auguste Bonal 20,000StrasbourgStade de la Meinau 29,230ToursStade de la Vallée du Cher 16,247TroyesStade de l'Aube 21,684ValenciennesStade du Hainaut 25,172

1 Red Star original stadium, Stade Bauer, is not permitted to host professional matches. The club are playing their home games at Stade Jean-Bouin.

Personnel and kits Team Manager1 Captain1 Kit Manufacturer1 Main Sponsor1Ajaccio adidasSuite HomeAmiens Christophe Pélissier adidasIntersportAuxerre AirnessRemorques LOUALT, VitransBourg-en-Bresse adidasBestDriveBrest NikeQuéguinerClermont PatrickCrédit MutuelGazélec Ajaccio Louis Poggi MacronCarrefour, Casino D'AjaccioLaval KappaLactelLe Havre JomaApiLens UmbroAzerbaijan: Land of FireNîmes PumaMarie BlachèreNiort PumaRestaurant Le Billon (home), Cheminées Poujoulat (away)Orléans KappaCTVLRed Star adidasReims HungariaSanei AscenseursSochaux LottoPeugeotStrasbourg Hummeles energiesTours HungariaCorsicatoursTroyes KappaBabeau SeguinValenciennes Kipsta Mutuelle Just 1Subject to change during the season.

Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Reims David Guion End of tenure as caretaker 23 May 2016Pre-season Michel Der Zakarian 23 May 2016 Gazélec Ajaccio Mutual consent 25 May 2016 Jean-Luc Vannuchi 27 May 2016 Auxerre End of contract 26 May 2016 Viorel Moldovan 26 May 2016 Brest End of contract 30 May 2016 Jean-Marc Furlan 30 May 2016 Strasbourg Jacky Duguépéroux Sacked 30 May 2016 Thierry Laurey 31 May 2016 Lens Antoine Kombouaré Signed by EA Guingamp 30 May 2016 Alain Casanova 12 June 2016 Tours Marco Simone Sacked 14 June 2016 Fabien Mercadal 17 July 2016 Troyes Mohamed Bradja End of tenure as caretaker 30 June 2016 Jean-Louis Garcia 1 July 2016 Auxerre Viorel Moldovan Sacked 26 September 2016 19th Cédric Daury 7 October 2016 Le Havre Bob Bradley Signed by Swansea City 3 October 2016 5th Oswald Tanchot 3 October 2016 Laval Denis Zanko Sacked 5 November 2016 14th Marco Simone 7 November 2016 Red Star Rui Almeida Sacked 12 December 2016 20th Claude Robin 10 January 2017 Orléans Olivier Frapolli Sacked 28 December 2016 20th Didier Ollé-Nicolle 28 December 2016 Tours Fabien Mercadal Sacked 18 February 2017 20th Gilbert Zoonekynd 27 March 2017 Laval Marco Simone Sacked 11 April 2017 20th Thierry Goudet 12 April 2017

League table

Results

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals1 Adama NianeTroyes232 Khalid BoutaïbStrasbourg203 Denis BouangaTours16 Cristian LópezLens5 Faneva Imà AndriatsimaSochaux14 Andé Dona NdohNiort7 Rachid AliouiNîmes13 Rémy DugimontClermont9 Neal MaupayBrest11 Riad NouriAjaccio

Play-offs The 2016–17 season will see the return of a relegation play-off between the 18th placed Ligue 1 team and the 3rd placed team in the Ligue 2 in a two-legged confrontation. The Ligue 2 team will host the first game. Another relegation play-off involves the 18th placed Ligue 2 team and the 3rd placed National team also in two legs.

Orléans won 2–0 on aggregate.

Attendances

No. Club Average Highest 1 Lens 28,996 38,033 2 Strasbourg 17,013 27,503 3 Reims 10,403 18,492 4 Sochaux 9,504 16,037 5 Stade brestois 8,040 12,502 6 Valenciennes 7,905 15,323 7 Amiens 7,897 11,927 8 Havre AC 7,791 10,043 9 ESTAC 7,209 12,093 10 Nîmes 6,614 14,606 11 AJ auxerroise 6,091 12,431 12 Red Star 4,944 10,874 13 Stade lavallois 4,917 8,626 14 Tours 4,551 6,554 15 Orléans 4,262 6,791 16 Chamois niortais 3,705 5,620 17 Clermont 3,280 7,722 18 Gazélec 3,074 4,052 19 Ajaccio 2,744 3,784 20 FBBP 2,493 3,545

Source:

References