France: "Possibility of limiting relegation from Ligue 1 to 2 teams" (F. Thiriez, French LFP)

"(Former executives in French football) Frédéric de Saint-Sernin and Pierre Dréossi presented a progress report in which they list the reforms that reached consensus. Two items have already been accepted: strengthening the criteria to receive a club license and the increasing the amount of aid to relegated clubs to help avoid financial disasters like that of Le Mans FC (relegated from Ligue 1 in 2012-13)," stated Frederic Thiriez, president of the LFP (French professional football league) and also president of the EPFL (Association of European Football Leagues), in an interview to France Football magazine dated 06/01/2014.

"(Other items in the report include) considering the possibility of limiting relegation from Ligue 1 to Ligue 2 to only 2 teams (as opposed to the current 3 relegated teams per season); one team would be automatically relegated, and one would enter a play-off with a Ligue 2 team (similar to the promotion-relegation structure between the German Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga)," added Frederic Thiriez in the same interview.

• "The LFP will also consider the possibility…