Ligue 2 , formerly known as
Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of
French football and is one of two divisions making up the
Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), the other being
Ligue 1, the country's top football division. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of
promotion and relegation with both Ligue 1 and the third division
Championnat National. Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 38 games each totaling 380 games in the season. Most games are played on Fridays and Mondays, with a few games played during weekday and weekend evenings. Play is regularly suspended the last weekend before Christmas for two weeks before returning in the second week of January.