Ligue 1 and the term Farmers’ League have been associated with one another for quite some time. The quality top tier of the French league has often been played down by the use of the term. For newer fans, it must be difficult to understand the origin of the term and its significance. This breakdown can clear all the doubts about the term.
There are some misconceptions that Ligue 1 is called the Farmers’ League because it was founded by farmers in order to protect their interests. This origin gave rise to the term. However, the said misconception can be cleared if we look at the origin of the league.
Origin of Ligue 1
The French League was formed in 1932 with 20 inaugural members, such as CA Paris, Nice, Marseille, Metz, Rennes, Montpellier, Olympique Lillois etc. Throughout its history, the league format and number of members underwent changes till 2002.
In 2002, the league changed its name from Division 1 to Ligue 1. From 2002 to 2023, the league had 20 teams but in 2021, The French Professional League (LFP) received over 97 percent of the votes at its general assembly to reduce the size of the league back to its original format. Throughout his history, the link to Farmers and Ligue 1 cannot be made, which clears the misconception.
Ligue 1 reputation of feeder league
Three main factors earned Ligue 1 the reputation of the Farmers’ League. The first reason is the reputation of the league for being a one-horse race, especially in the last decade. Since the takeover of PSG by the Qatari Investment Fund in 2011, the Paris club has won nine titles of the last 11 titles in the French league.
The second reason is the pedigree of French clubs in European competitions. Since 2004, French teams have reached only two European finals and lost both of them. In 2018, Marseille lost to Atlético Madrid in the Europa League final. In 2020, PSG lost to Bayern Munich in the UCL final.
The Qatari takeover of PSG has helped in the domination of the French league but hasn’t translated into European competition, which has raised questions about the overall quality of the league.
The third and final reason is the reputation of the league being a feeder to big European clubs. Ligue 1 has been unsuccessful in holding on to their star players when they move towards the peak years.
A farmer in Argentina planted corn seeds in a specific pattern that created a tribute to Lionel Messi when the corn grew 🤯
📸: @marcariann, Reuters pic.twitter.com/bibzqg5JWE
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 18, 2023
Players like Aurélien Tchouaméni, Nicolas Pepe, Victor Osimhen, James Rordriguez, Eden Hazard, Ousmane Dembélé, Thomas Lemar, Jeremy Doku, Benjamin Mendy, Eduardo Camavinga, and many others have all moved on to bigger clubs in Bundesliga, La Liga, and Premier League. All these departures have earned them a stigma of the league as a whole acting like feeder clubs to big powerhouses.
Use of the term in soccer culture
The term farmers’ league at present is used in soccer culture to make a mockery of the quality of Ligue 1 as compared to other top leagues in Europe. All three factors mentioned above as a whole have put a stigma on the league about the quality. The term, farmers’ league is a tongue in cheek way to say that players in Ligue 1 are part-time farmers and part-time soccer players.
The term has gained prominence among fans and experts in the soccer culture. The use of the term is in the mainstream, as evident in the recent incident where Ligue 1 social media celebrated Lens victory over Arsenal in the UCL by sarcastically using the term.
FARMERS LEAGUE STRIKES AGAIN 🇫🇷🗣️ pic.twitter.com/zZfJ0CIpfi
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) October 3, 2023
Lionel Messi’s stint with PSG was a nightmare for the Argentine due to backlash from the fan base of his eternal rival, Cristiano Ronaldo. During his spell with the French club, every goal or accomplishment was pushed back by the use of the term, “Farmer League.”
To remove this term as an association with the French league, Ligue 1 has to work towards improving the overall quality of the league as well as the performances in the European league.