| Sport: | Handball |
| LFH Division 1 Féminine | |
| Teams: | 14 |
| Country: | France |
| Confed: | EHF |
| Champion: | Metz Handball |
| Champ Season: | 2022–23 |
| Most Successful Club: | Metz Handball (25 titles) |
| Prem Season: | 2021–22 |
| Tv: | Moselle TV (Metz) Tébéo (Brest) |
| Streaming: | Handball TV |
| Relegation: | Division 2 (D2F) |
| Domestic Cup: | Coupe de France |
| Confed Cup: | Champions League EHF European League |
| Website: | ligue-feminine-handball.fr |
| Current Season: | 2022–23 LFH Division 1 Féminine |
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:
| Club | City | Region of France | Rank 2022-23 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESBF Besançon | Besançon | Bourgogne-Franche-Comté | 6th | |
| Brest Bretagne Handball | Brest | Brittany | ||
| 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 | ||
| Mérignac Handball | Mérignac | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 13th | |
| Neptunes de Nantes | Nantes | Pays de la Loire | ||
| 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 | 1st (Division 2) | |
| SATH (Strasbourg Achenheim Truchtersheim Handball) | Achenheim, Truchtersheim | Grand Est | 2nd (Division 2) | |
| Toulon Var Métropole Handball | Toulon | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 12th |
| Club | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESBF Besançon |  Sébastien Mizoule | Pauline Robert | Le Coq Sportif | |
| Brest Bretagne | Pablo Morel |  Jenny Carlson | Craft | |
| Chambray Touraine | Mathieu Lanfranchi | Jovana Stoiljković |  Kappa | |
| JDA Dijon | Christophe Mazel | Sarah Valero Jodar | Erreà | |
| Metz HB | Emmanuel Mayonnade | Chloé Valentini | Kempa | |
| Mérignac HB | Christophe Chagnard | Julie Dazet | Craft | |
| Neptunes de Nantes | Helle Thomsen | Tamara Horacek | Craft | |
| OGC Nice | Clément Alcacer |  Ehsan Abdelmalek | Hummel | |
| Paris 92 | Yacine Messaoudi | Méline Nocandy | Le Coq Sportif | |
| Plan-de-Cuques | Angélique Spincer | Aurélie Goubel | Puma | |
| Saint-Amand HB |  Edina Borsos Szabó | Romane Frécon-Demouge | Kempa | |
| Stella Saint-Maur | Rémi Sanson | Pauline Plotton | Puma | |
| SATH |  Jan Bašný | Dalila Abdesselam | Erima | |
| Toulon | Joël da Silva | Manon Loquay | Hummel |
Notes :
2022-23 Teams
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 status.
Teams receive three points for a win, two points for a draw and one point for a loss.
Currently the Champion of France is granted a spot in the EHF Champions League's group stage. 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). 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.).
| Season | 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 | ||
| 1995-1996 | 10 | 45 | ASPTT Metz (6) | ES Besançon | ||
| 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
Legend :
| Medal table
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"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:
Free TV channel Sport en France used to broadcast some matches (BeIN Sports took the official broadcaster slot since 2023-24).
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).
Catherine Kent Manon Livingstone
Nele Antonissen
Moniky Bancilon Ana Paula Belo Adriana Cardoso de Castro Deonise Cavaleiro Bruna de Paula Fabiana Diniz Alexandra do Nascimento Elaine Gomes Mayara Moura Gabriela Moreschi Mayssa Pessoa Silvia Pinheiro Samira Rocha Klára Černá Lenka Černá Charlotte Cholevová Markéta Hurychová Kamila Kordovská Petra Kudláčková Iveta Luzumová Veronika Malá Pavla Poznarová Helena Ryšánková Barbora Raníková Lucie Satrapová Helena Štěrbová Viktória Csáki Andrea Farkas Ágnes Hornyák Szabina Mayer Krisztina Pigniczki Szimonetta Planéta Szabina Tápai Irene Fanton
Jasna Boljević Tatjana Brnović Nada Ćorović Itana Grbić Đurđina Jauković Marija Jovanović Đurđina Malović Jasna Tošković Milica Trifunović Dijana Ujkić Marina Vukčević
Mari Finstad Bergum Camilla Carstens Helene Gigstad Fauske Rikke Marie Granlund Anette Helene Hansen Malin Holta Tonje Haug Lerstad Tonje Løseth Karoline Lund Kristina Novak Hanna Bredal Oftedal Stine Bredal Oftedal Siv Heim Sæbøe Elise Skinnehaugen Emma Skinnehaugen Celine Sivertsen Silje Solberg Pernille Wibe
Marta Gęga Katarzyna Janiszewska Monika Kobylińska Aneta Łabuda Natalia Nosek Adrianna Płaczek Aleksandra Rosiak Monika Stachowska Karolina Siódmiak Ewa Urtnowska Paulina Uścinowicz Joanna Wołoszyk Karolina Zalewska Aleksandra Zych
Jovana Bogojević Marija Čolić Lidija Cvijić Biljana Filipović Kristina Liščević Tatjana Medved Svetlana Ognjenović Slađana Pop-Lazić Jelena Popović Dijana Radojević Dijana Števin Jovana Stoiljković Katarina Tomašević
Adriána Holejová Monika Rajnohová Martina Školková
Nely Carla Alberto Jessica Alonso Alexandrina Cabral Carmen Campos Mercedes Castellanos Elisabet Cesáreo Elisabeth Chávez Darly de Paula Patricia Elorza Beatriz Escribano Beatriz Fernández Magdalena Fernández-Agusti Paula García Ávila Kaba Gassama Lara González Ortega Mireya González Marta López Marta Mangué Carmen Martín María Muñoz Juan María Núñez Paula Valdivia Monserrat Nicole Wiggins Hanna Åhlén Jenny Carlson Kristina Flognman Tina Flognman Hanna Fogelström Cecilia Grubbström Isabelle Gulldén Nathalie Hagman Filippa Idéhn Therese Islas Helgesson Anna Lagerquist Clara Monti Danielsson Frida Rosell Jessica Ryde Louise Sand Malin Sandberg Carin Strömberg Frida Tegstedt Ulrika Toft Hansen Cassandra Tollbring Linnea Torstenson Angelica Wallén
Haifa Abdelhak Noura Ben Slama Takoua Chabchoub Mouna Chebbah Maroua Dhaouadi Asma Elghaoui Ines Khouildi Ouided Kilani Rafika Marzouk Rakia Rezgui Faten YahiaouiEHF League Ranking for 2022/23 season:[18]
Nemzeti Bajnokság I (157.67) Ligue Butagaz Énergie (118.50)
Bambusa Kvindeligaen (109.00) REMA 1000-ligaen (102.77)
Liga Națională (94.50)
