LNH Division 1

LNH Division 1, doing business as Starligue and currently known as Liqui Moly Starligue for sponsorship reasons, is the premier men's professional handball league in France. It is administered by the Ligue Nationale de Handball, under delegation from the French Handball Federation. Founded in 1952, it is currently contested by 16 teams.

LNH Division 1

Current season, competition or edition: 2024–25 LNH Division 1
Sport	Handball
Founded	1952; 72 years ago (1952) (as Nationale 1)
First season	1952–53
Administrator	LNH
No. of teams	16
Country	France
Confederation	EHF
Most recent champion(s)	PSG (11th title) (2023–24)
Most titles	Montpellier (14 titles)
TV partner(s)	beIN Sports
Relegation to	LNH Division 2
Domestic cup(s)	Coupe de France Coupe de la Ligue Trophée des Champions
International cup(s)	EHF Champions League EHF European League
Official website	LNH.fr

Montpellier Handball is the most successful club with 14 titles, and the club which won the most consecutive titles is Paris Saint-Germain with 9 between 2015 and 2023.

The champion and the vice-champion are directly qualified for the group phase of the EHF Champions League. The winners of the Coupe de France and the Coupe de la Ligue are qualified for the European League. If the winner of (one of) these cups is also the champion, the place(s) are attributed in terms of the Division 1 ranking.

Since 2016, the league has had a title sponsor. Discount retail chain Lidl was the first, paying €1 million per season for the rights (with the exception of the final season, a short term extension signed during the COVID-19 crisis).^[1] It was succeeded in 2021 by lubricant manufacturer Liqui Moly.

Clubs

2022–23 Teams

Dunkerque

PSG

Sélestat

Ivry

Chartres

Cesson-Sévigné

Nantes

Istres

Chambéry

Toulouse

Montpellier

Nîmes

Aix

St-Raphaël

Limoges

Créteil

Locations of the 2022–23 LNH Division 1

Team	Location	Arena	Capacity	Rank 21-22
Pays d'Aix Université Club	Aix-en-Provence	Complexe sportif du Val de l'Arc Arena du Pays d'Aix	1,650 6,004
Cesson Rennes	Cesson-Sévigné	Glaz Arena	4,500	9th
Chambéry	Chambéry	Le Phare	4,400	5th
Chartres Métropole	Chartres	Halle Jean-Cochet	1,200	10th
US Créteil	Créteil	Palais des Sports Robert Oubron	2,500	11th
Dunkerque	Dunkerque	Stade des Flandres	2,400	12th
Istres Provence Handball	Istres	Halle polyvalente	2,000	14th
US Ivry	Ivry-sur-Seine	Gymnase Auguste-Delaune	1,500	1st VAP (D2)
Limoges Handball	Limoges	Palais des Sports de Beaublanc	5,516	13th
Montpellier	Montpellier	Palais des sports René-Bougnol Sud de France Arena	3,000 8,000	4th
Nantes	Nantes	Palais des Sports Halle XXL de la Beaujoire	5,000 9,000
USAM Nîmes	Nîmes	Le Parnasse	3,391	6th
Paris Saint-Germain	Paris	Stade Pierre de Coubertin Halle Georges Carpentier	3,402 4,300
Saint Raphaël	Saint-Raphaël	Palais des sports J-F Krakowski	2,000	8th
Sélestat Alsace Handball	Sélestat	CSI Sélestat	2,300	2nd VAP (D2)
Fenix Toulouse	Toulouse	Palais des Sports André Brouat	4,200	7th

Squads of previous seasons

2020-21 Teams Team Location Arena Capacity Rank 2019-20 Pays d'Aix Université Club Aix-en-Provence Complexe sportif du Val de l'Arc Arena du Pays d'Aix 1,650 6,004 6th Cesson Rennes Cesson-Sévigné Glaz Arena 4,500 1st in D2 Chambéry Chambéry Le Phare 4,400 9th Chartres Métropole Chartres Halle Jean-Cochet 1,200 10th US Créteil Créteil Palais des Sports Robert Oubron 2,500 14th Dunkerque Dunkerque Stade des Flandres 2,400 7th Istres Provence Handball Istres Halle polyvalente 2,000 11th US Ivry Ivry-sur-Seine Gymnase Auguste-Delaune 1,500 12th Limoges Handball Limoges Palais des Sports de Beaublanc 5,516 2nd in D2 Montpellier Montpellier Palais des sports René-Bougnol Sud de France Arena 3,000 8,000 4th Nantes Nantes Palais des Sports Halle XXL de la Beaujoire 5,000 9,000 USAM Nîmes Nîmes Le Parnasse 3,391 Paris Saint-Germain Paris Stade Pierre de Coubertin Halle Georges Carpentier 3,402 4,300 Saint Raphaël Saint-Raphaël Palais des sports J-F Krakowski 2,000 8th Fenix Toulouse Toulouse Palais des Sports André Brouat 4,200 5th Tremblay Handball Tremblay-en-France Palais des sports 1,020 13th Results: US Ivry & Tremblay Handball Saran Loiret HB & Grand Nancy MHB 2021-22 Teams Team Location Arena Capacity Rank 2020-21 Pays d'Aix Université Club Aix-en-Provence Complexe sportif du Val de l'Arc Arena du Pays d'Aix 1,650 6,004 4th Cesson Rennes Cesson-Sévigné Glaz Arena 4,500 14th Chambéry Chambéry Le Phare 4,400 7th Chartres Métropole Chartres Halle Jean-Cochet 1,200 11th US Créteil Créteil Palais des Sports Robert Oubron 2,500 12th Dunkerque Dunkerque Stade des Flandres 2,400 10th Istres Provence Handball Istres Halle polyvalente 2,000 13th Limoges Handball Limoges Palais des Sports de Beaublanc 5,516 9th Montpellier Montpellier Palais des sports René-Bougnol Sud de France Arena 3,000 8,000 Grand Nancy Métropole Handball Nancy Parc des sports de Vandœuvre Nations 1,150 2nd in D2 Nantes Nantes Palais des Sports Halle XXL de la Beaujoire 5,000 9,000 USAM Nîmes Nîmes Le Parnasse 3,391 5th Paris Saint-Germain Paris Stade Pierre de Coubertin Halle Georges Carpentier 3,402 4,300 Saint Raphaël Saint-Raphaël Palais des sports J-F Krakowski 2,000 8th Saran Loiret Handball Saran Halle Jacques Mazzuca 950 1st in D2 Fenix Toulouse Toulouse Palais des Sports André Brouat 4,200 6th Results: Saran Loiret HB & Grand Nancy MHB US Ivry & Sélestat Alsace HB

Winners

Season Champion 1952–1953 Villemomble-Sports 1953–1954 ASPP Paris Handball 1954–1955 ASPP Paris Handball (2) 1955–1956 Paris UC 1956–1957 ASPOM Bordeaux 1957–1958 ASPOM Bordeaux (2) 1958–1959 Paris UC (2) 1959–1960 AS Mulhouse 1960–1961 Bataillon de Joinville 1961–1962 Paris UC (3) 1962–1963 US Ivry Handball 1963–1964 US Ivry Handball (2) 1964–1965 SMUC 1965–1966 US Ivry Handball (3) 1966–1967 SMUC (2) 1967–1968 Stella Saint-Maur 1968–1969 SMUC (3) 1969–1970 US Ivry Handball (4) 1970–1971 US Ivry Handball (5) 1971–1972 Stella Saint-Maur (2) 1972–1973 Cercle Sportif Laïc Dijon 1973–1974 Paris UC (4) 1974–1975 SMUC (4) 1975–1976 Stella Saint-Maur (3) 1976–1977 RC Strasbourg 1977–1978 Stella Saint-Maur (4) 1978–1979 Stella Saint-Maur (5) 1979–1980 Stella Saint-Maur (6) 1980–1981 USM Gagny 1981–1982 USM Gagny (2) 1982–1983 US Ivry Handball (6) 1983–1984 SMUC (5)

Season Champion 1984–1985 USM Gagny (3) 1985–1986 USM Gagny (4) 1986–1987 USM Gagny (5) 1987–1988 USAM Nîmes 1988–1989 US Créteil 1989–1990 USAM Nîmes (2) 1990–1991 USAM Nîmes (3) 1991–1992 Vénissieux handball 1992–1993 USAM Nîmes (4) 1993–1994 OM Vitrolles 1994–1995 Montpellier 1995–1996 OM Vitrolles (2) 1996–1997 US Ivry Handball (7) 1997–1998 Montpellier (2) 1998–1999 Montpellier (3) 1999–2000 Montpellier (4) 2000–2001 Chambéry Savoie Handball 2001–2002 Montpellier (5) 2002–2003 Montpellier (6) 2003–2004 Montpellier (7) 2004–2005 Montpellier (8) 2005–2006 Montpellier (9) 2006–2007 US Ivry Handball (8) 2007–2008 Montpellier (10) 2008–09 Montpellier (11) 2009–10 Montpellier (12) 2010–11 Montpellier (13) 2011–12 Montpellier (14) 2012–13 Paris Saint-Germain 2013–14 US Dunkerque 2014–15 Paris Saint-Germain (2) 2015–16 Paris Saint-Germain (3)

Season Champion 2016–17 Paris Saint-Germain (4) 2017–18 Paris Saint-Germain (5) 2018–19 Paris Saint-Germain (6) 2019–20 Paris Saint-Germain (7) 2020–21 Paris Saint-Germain (8) 2021–22 Paris Saint-Germain (9) 2022–23 Paris Saint-Germain (10) 2023–24 Paris Saint-Germain (11)

Performance by club

Rank	Club	Titles	Winning seasons
1	Montpellier Handball	14	1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
2	Paris Saint-Germain	11	2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
3	Union sportive d'Ivry	8	1963, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1971, 1983, 1997, 2007
4	Stade Marseillais UC	7	1965, 1967, 1969, 1975, 1984, 1994, 1996
5	Stella Sports Saint-Maur	6	1968, 1972, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980
6	USM Gagny	5	1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987
7	Paris UC	4	1956, 1959, 1962, 1974
	USAM Nîmes	4	1988, 1990, 1991, 1993
9	ASP Police Paris	2	1954, 1955
	ASPOM Bordeaux	2	1957, 1958
11	Villemomble Sports	1	1953
	AS Mulhouse	1	1960
	Bataillon de Joinville	1	1961
	Cercle Sportif Laïc Dijon	1	1973
	Racing Club de Strasbourg	1	1977
	Union sportive de Créteil	1	1989
	Vénissieux HB 85	1	1992
	Stade olympique de Chambéry	1	2001
	Dunkerque HGL	1	2014
Total		71	1953–2023

Statistics

EHF coefficients

See also: EHF coefficient rank

The following data indicates French coefficient rankings between European handball leagues.

Country ranking EHF League Ranking for 2022/23 season:[2] 1.  (1) Handball-Bundesliga (145.00) 2.  (3) Liga ASOBAL (121.50) 3.  (2) LNH Division 1 (104.33) 4.  (5) Nemzeti Bajnokság I (94.17) 5.  (7) Håndboldligaen (87.33)

Club ranking EHF Club Ranking as of 20 May 2023:[3] 4. Paris Saint-Germain (671) 7. Montpellier (565) 13. HBC Nantes (460) 33. USAM Nîmes (175) 34. Fenix Toulouse (172)

See also

• Other domestic competitions:
  • Coupe de France
  • Coupe de la Ligue
  • Trophée des Champions
• Handball in France:
  • LNH Division 2 (ProLigue), lower echelon of France handball
  • LFH Division 1 Féminine (Ligue Butagaz Énergie), the corresponding women's competition
  • LFH Division 2 Féminine (D2F)
  • List of handball clubs in France

References

1. Menjot, Pierre (10 July 2020). "Lidl Starligue : Lidl arrêtera le naming en 2021". lequipe.fr. Groupe Amaury. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
2. "2022/23 season ranking" (PDF). European Handball Federation. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
3. "Club coefficients". eurotopteam.com. Retrieved 20 May 2023.

External links

• Official website