While the ruthless dominance of the top two shows little sign of abating, other clubs see reasons for optimism
A big change occurred in France last summer when the top two divisions of the women’s game were professionalised under the banner of the new Ligue Féminine de Football Professionnel (LFFP), led by the former Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas.
With the aim of making a league dominated for almost two decades by Aulas’s former club and Paris Saint-Germain more interesting, the changes included a rebranding of the top two divisions, an overall budget increase for the league stretching into eight figures, plus mandatory criteria such as every top division side having a minimum 11 full-time players, with second division sides having at least 11 contracted part-time players. Clubs can now have a fourth non-EU player, while those involved in the new structure have taken lessons from other leagues such as rest days for teams in the Champions League and canvassing supporters for the best kick-off times.
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