# 2012–13 in French football

The 2012–13 season was the 108th overall season of football and the 80th season of competitive professional football in France.
The France men's national team began play on 15 August 2012, contesting a friendly match against Uruguay. The team also began contesting qualification matches for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The men's youth international teams also began playing qualification matches for their yearly European Championship tournament. Les Espoirs concluded its qualification campaign for the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, while the under-19 and under-17 teams played qualification matches for the 2013 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship and 2013 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, respectively.
Similarly, the women's team concluded its qualification campaign for UEFA Women's Euro 2013.

## Broadcast rights

On 23 June 2011, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) confirmed that French television channel Canal+ had acquired four television packages for the next four seasons beginning with the 2012–13 and ending with the 2015–16 season. The organization also announced that independent broadcaster Al Jazeera had acquired two packages. The combined deals are valued at €510 million per season.

## Schedule

To coincide with the new television rights deal, the LFP announced that the match days would be re-arranged. Beginning with the 2012–13 season, there will be one match played on Friday night at 21:00. On Saturday, a match will be contested at 17:00. At 19:00, four matches will be played and that will be followed by a match at 21:00. On Sunday, the early match will be played at 14:00. This will be followed by a match at 19:00. Finally, at 21:00, the match day will conclude with the showcase match.

## Supercup in the United States

On 5 April 2012, the LFP announced that, for the fourth consecutive season, the Trophée des champions will be held on international soil. The match will be played in Harrison, New Jersey, at the Red Bull Arena and will be contested by the winner of Ligue 1 and the winner of the Coupe de France. The match will be played on 28 July 2012. Like the previous three years, the idea will be to promote French football abroad, but this time more specifically in the United States.

## DNCG rulings
### Ligue 2

On 11 July 2012, following a preliminary review of each club's administrative and financial accounts in Ligue 2, the DNCG ruled that Le Mans would be relegated to the Championnat National. Following the announcement, Le Mans club president Henri Legarda announced that the club would appeal the decision, stating the "shareholders will play their part and the club will go after every possible step to restore its rightful place in the sport".

### National

On 12 June 2012, following a preliminary review of each club's administrative and financial accounts in the Championnat National, the DNCG ruled that Cherbourg would be relegated to the Championnat de France amateur due to the club possessing a financial debt of €200,000. Following the announcement, Cherbourg president Gérard Gohel announced that the club would appeal the decision. On 5 July, the DNCG reversed its decision to relegate Cherbourg after the club gained the €200,000 required to remain in the division.

## Managerial changes
### Ligue 1

| Team | Outgoing head coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming head coach | Date of appointment | Position in table |
| Nice | René Marsiglia | Fired | 21 May 2012 | Off-season | Claude Puel | 24 May 2012 | Off-season |
| Brest | Corentin Martins | Mutual consent | 31 May 2012 | Off-season | Landry Chauvin | 31 May 2012 | Off-season |
| Ajaccio | Olivier Pantaloni | Resigned | 14 June 2012 | Off-season | Alex Dupont | 22 June 2012 | Off-season |
| Marseille | Didier Deschamps | Mutual consent | 2 July 2012 | Off-season | Elie Baup | 4 July 2012 | Off-season |
| Evian | Pablo Correa | Sacked | 3 September 2012 | 18th | Pascal Dupraz | 3 September 2012 | 18th |
| Ajaccio | Alex Dupont | Sacked | 17 December 2012 | 14th | Albert Emon | 21 December 2012 | 14th |
| Nancy | Jean Fernandez | Resigned | 10 January 2013 | 20th | Patrick Gabriel | 11 January 2013 | 20th |
| Brest | Landry Chauvin | Sacked | 2 April 2013 | 18th | Corentin Martins | 4 April 2013 | 18th |

### Ligue 2

| Team | Outgoing head coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming head coach | Date of appointment | Position in table |
| Monaco | Marco Simone | Fired | 19 May 2012 | Off-season | Claudio Ranieri | 30 May 2012 | Off-season |
| Dijon | Patrice Carteron | Mutual consent | 24 May 2012 | Off-season | Olivier Dall'Oglio | 1 June 2012 | Off-season |
| Nîmes | Thierry Froger | End of contract | 25 May 2012 | Off-season | Victor Zvunka | 1 June 2012 | Off-season |
| Nantes | Landry Chauvin | Joined Brest | 31 May 2012 | Off-season | Michel Der Zakarian | 1 June 2012 | Off-season |
| Clermont | Michel Der Zakarian | Resigned | 30 May 2012 | Off-season | Régis Brouard | 7 June 2012 | Off-season |
| Caen | Franck Dumas | Resigned | 13 June 2012 | Off-season | Patrice Garande | 18 June 2012 | Off-season |
| Gazélec Ajaccio | Dominique Veilex | Mutual consent | 1 August 2012 | 15th | Jean-Michel Cavalli | 6 August 2012 | 18th |
| Tours | Peter Zeidler | Fired | 21 August 2012 | 20th | Bernard Blaquart | 21 August 2012 | 20th |
| Lens | Jean-Louis Garcia | Fired | 24 September 2012 | 15th | Éric Sikora | 24 September 2012 | 15th |
| Arles-Avignon | Thierry Laurey | Fired | 3 November 2012 | 18th | Pierre Mosca (interim) | 3 November 2012 | 18th |
| Le Havre | Cédric Daury | Fired | 12 November 2012 | 16th | Erick Mombaerts | 21 December 2012 | 9th |
| Auxerre | Jean-Guy Wallemme | Mutual consent | 2 December 2012 | 15th | Bernard Casoni | 3 December 2012 | 15th |
| Arles-Avignon | Pierre Mosca (interim) | End of interim spell | 11 February 2013 | 17th | Noël Tosi | 11 February 2013 | 17th |
| Gazélec Ajaccio | Jean-Michel Cavalli | Fired | 15 February 2013 | 19th | Thierry Laurey | 19 February 2013 | 19th |
| Le Mans | Denis Zanko | Fired | 24 April 2013 | 18th | Régis Beunardeau | 24 April 2013 | 18th |

### National

| Team | Outgoing head coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming head coach | Date of appointment | Position in table |
| Rouen | Emmanuel Da Costa | Mutual consent | 18 May 2012 | Off-season | Didier Ollé-Nicolle | 30 May 2012 | Off-season |
| Quevilly | Régis Brouard | Joined Clermont | 30 May 2012 | Off-season | Laurent Hatton | 6 June 2012 | Off-season |
| Paris | Alain Mboma | Resigned | 18 May 2012 | Off-season | Olivier Guillou | 22 June 2012 | Off-season |
| Boulogne | Pascal Plancque | Mutual consent | 7 June 2012 | Off-season | Georges Tournay | 23 June 2012 | Off-season |
| Fréjus Saint-Raphaël | Charly Paquille | Mutual consent | 18 May 2012 | Off-season | Michel Estevan | 1 July 2012 | Off-season |
| Amiens | Ludovic Batelli | Resigned | 30 June 2012 | Off-season | Francis De Taddeo | 1 July 2012 | Off-season |
| Paris | Olivier Guillou | Fired | 5 October 2012 | 18th | Alexandre Monier | 5 October 2012 | 18th |

## Competitions

| Competition | Winner | Details | Match Report |
| Ligue 1 | Paris Saint-Germain | 2012–13 Ligue 1 | |
| Ligue 2 | Monaco | 2012–13 Ligue 2 | |
| Championnat National | US Créteil | 2012–13 Championnat National | |
| Championnat de France amateur | USL Dunkerque | 2012–13 Championnat de France Amateur Group A | |
| Championnat de France amateur | US Raon-l'Étape | 2012–13 Championnat de France Amateur Group B | |
| Championnat de France amateur | US Colomiers | 2012–13 Championnat de France Amateur Group C | |
| Championnat de France amateur | Vendée Luçon | 2012–13 Championnat de France Amateur Group D | |
| Championnat de France amateur 2 | | 2012–13 Championnat de France amateur 2 | |
| Division 1 Féminine | Olympique Lyonnais | 2012–13 Division 1 Féminine | |
| Coupe de France | Girondins de Bordeaux | 2012–13 Coupe de France | |
| Coupe de la Ligue | Saint-Étienne | 2012–13 Coupe de la Ligue | Report |
| Coupe de France Féminine | | 2012–13 Coupe de France Féminine | |
| Coupe Gambardella | Girondins de Bordeaux | 2012–13 Coupe Gambardella | |
| Trophée des Champions | Olympique Lyonnais | 2012 Trophée des Champions | |

### International competitions
#### Men's

| Team / Competition | UEFA Champions League | UEFA Europa League |
| Montpellier | Group stage Eliminated | Did not qualify |
| Paris Saint-Germain | Quarter-finals eliminated by Barcelona | Did not qualify |
| Lille | Group stage Eliminated | Did not qualify |
| Lyon | Did not qualify | Round of 32 eliminated by Tottenham Hotspur |
| Bordeaux | Did not qualify | Round of 16 eliminated by Benfica |
| Marseille | Did not qualify | Group stage Eliminated |

#### Women's

| Team / Competition | UEFA Women's Champions League |
| Lyon | Runner-up eliminated by VfL Wolfsburg |
| Juvisy | Semifinals eliminated by Lyon |

## National teams
### France

Friendly
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
Last updated: 16 October 2012 Source: French Football Federation

### France (women's)

UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualification
Friendly
Last updated: 7 August 2014 Source: French Football Federation

### France U-21

2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification
Friendly
2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification playoffs
Last updated: 16 October 2012 Source: French Football Federation U-21 Schedule

### France U-20

Four Nations Tournament
Friendly
Last updated: 24 October 2012 Source: French Football Federation U-20 Schedule

### France U-19

Friendly
2013 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship First Round qualification
Last updated: 24 October 2012 Source: French Football Federation U-19 Schedule

### France U-18

Friendly
2012 Tournio de Limoges
Last updated: 24 October 2012 Source: French Football Federation U-18 Schedule

### France U-17

2013 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship First Round qualification
2013 UEFA European Under-17 Championship elite round
Friendly
Last updated: 26 March 2013 Source: Federation U-17 Schedule

### France U-16

Friendly
2012 Tournoi du Val-de-Marne
2013 Aegean Cup
2013 Montaigu Tournament
Last updated: 4 June 2013 Source: French Football Federation U-16 Schedule