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:
Current sports event 2024–25 LNH Division 1
SportHandball
Founded1952; 72 years ago (1952)
(as Nationale 1)
First season1952–53
AdministratorLNH
No. of teams16
CountryFrance
ConfederationEHF
Most recent
champion(s)
PSG (11th title)
(2023–24)
Most titlesMontpellier (14 titles)
TV partner(s)beIN Sports
Relegation toLNH 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 websiteLNH.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

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2022–23 Teams

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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:


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:


Winners

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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

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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 1953–2024

Statistics

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EHF coefficients

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

See also

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References

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  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.
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