| Competition: | Ligue 1 |
| Season: | 2012–13 |
| Dates: | 10 August 2012 – 26 May 2013 |
| Winners: | Paris Saint-Germain 3rd Ligue 1 title 3rd French title |
| Relegated: | Nancy Troyes Brest |
| Continentalcup1: | Champions League |
| Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | Paris Saint-Germain Marseille Lyon |
| Continentalcup2: | Europa League |
| Continentalcup2 Qualifiers: | Nice Saint-Étienne Bordeaux |
| League Topscorer: | Zlatan Ibrahimović (30 goals) |
| Biggest Home Win: | Valenciennes 6–1 Lorient (20 October 2012)[1] [2] Nice 5–0 Valenciennes (13 January 2013)[3] Lille 5–0 Lorient (7 April 2013)[4] |
| Biggest Away Win: | Bastia 0–4 Paris Saint-Germain (22 September 2012)[5] Evian 0–4 Toulouse (20 October 2012)[6] Lorient 0–4 Bordeaux (11 November 2012) Valenciennes 0–4 Paris Saint-Germain (11 November 2012) Toulouse 0–4 Paris Saint-Germain (1 February 2013) Bordeaux 0–4 Lyon (17 February 2013) |
| Highest Scoring: | Lorient 4–4 Ajaccio (28 October 2012) |
| Matches: | 380 |
| Total Goals: | 967 |
| Longest Wins: | 6 games Marseille (10 August – 23 September) |
| Longest Unbeaten: | 16 games Saint-Étienne (21 September – 12 May) |
| Longest Winless: | 20 games Nancy (17 August – 26 January) |
| Longest Losses: | 11 games Brest (9 March – 26 May) |
| Highest Attendance: | 47,828 – Lille 0–0 Marseille (14 April 2013)[7] |
| Lowest Attendance: | 0 (behind closed doors) Bastia 1–2 Marseille (12 December 2012) |
| Average Attendance: | 19,262 |
| Prevseason: | 2011–12 |
| Nextseason: | 2013–14 |
The 2012–13 Ligue 1 was the 75th season since its establishment.[8] Montpellier were the defending champions. The league schedule was announced in April 2012 and the fixtures were determined on 30 May.[9] The season began on 10 August and ended on 26 May 2013.[10] A winter break was in effect from 24 December to 12 January 2013.[11]
The season marked the 80th anniversary of professional football in France.[9] In addition, German sportswear company Adidas became the official provider of match balls for the season after agreeing to a long-term partnership with the Ligue de Football Professionnel.[9] [12] To commemorate the 80th anniversary, adidas unveiled an exclusive ball, known as Le 80, for the new season.
Since France dropped from fifth to sixth place in the UEFA association coefficient rankings at the end of the 2011–12 season, the league's third place team, Lyon qualified for the third qualifying round of the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League, having previously been placed in the playoff round.[13]
On 12 May, Paris Saint-Germain won the league title after a 1–0 away win against Lyon.[14] [15] [16]
There were three promoted teams from Ligue 2, replacing the three teams that were relegated from Ligue 1 following the 2011–12 season. A total of 20 teams competed in the league with three clubs suffering relegation to the second division, Ligue 2. All clubs that secured Ligue 1 status for the season were subject to approval by the DNCG before becoming eligible to participate.[17]
Bastia became the first club to achieve promotion to Ligue 1. The club clinched the second division title on 1 May 2012 with three matches to spare after defeating Metz 3–0 at the Stade Armand Cesari.[18] Bastia is making its return to the first division after a seven-year absence and is entering Ligue 1 on a run of two consecutive promotions.[19] The club had earned promotion to Ligue 2 after winning the 2010–11 edition of the Championnat National.
Reims and Troyes became the second and third clubs, respectively, to earn promotion to Ligue 1 alongside the champions Bastia.[20] Both clubs achieved promotion with one game to spare following league victories on 11 May 2012, which positioned each club in second and third place permanently. Reims, which is a six-time Ligue 1 champion, is returning to the first division after over 33 years playing in the lower divisions.[21] During those 33 years, the club underwent liquidation and had all aspects of the club (its records, trophies, etc.) auctioned off. Troyes is returning to Ligue 1 after spending four years playing in Ligue 2. During its five-year spell outside the first division, Troyes also played in the Championnat National, the third level of French football.[22]
| Club | Location | Venue | Capacity | Av. Att.[23] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ajaccio | Stade François Coty | 10,660 | 7,060 | ||
| Bastia | Stade Armand Cesari | 16,480 | 13,619 | ||
| Bordeaux | Stade Chaban-Delmas | 34,462 | 19,683 | ||
| Brest | Stade Francis-Le Blé | 15,931 | 11,936 | ||
| Annecy | Parc des Sports | 15,660 | 9,697 | ||
| Grand Stade Lille Métropole | 50,186 | 40,326 | |||
| Lorient | Stade du Moustoir | 18,890 | 14,784 | ||
| Lyon | Stade de Gerland | 41,842 | 29,210 | ||
| Marseille | Stade Velodrome1 | 42,000 | 34,083 | ||
| Montpellier | Stade de la Mosson | 32,939 | 18,141 | ||
| Tomblaine | Stade Marcel Picot | 20,085 | 15,098 | ||
| Nice | Stade du Ray | 17,415 | 9,590 | ||
| Paris | Parc des Princes | 48,712 | 42,289 | ||
| Reims | Stade Auguste-Delaune II | 21,684 | 14,696 | ||
| Rennes | Stade de la Route de Lorient | 31,127 | 17,185 | ||
| Saint-Étienne | Stade Geoffroy-Guichard2 | 26,747 | 22,554 | ||
| Montbéliard | Stade Auguste Bonal | 20,005 | 12,163 | ||
| Toulouse | Stadium Municipal | 35,470 | 18,140 | ||
| Troyes | Stade de l'Aube | 21,877 | 12,833 | ||
| Valenciennes | Stade du Hainaut | 24,926 | 15,513 |
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit Manufacturer | Shirt sponsors (front) | Shirt sponsors (back) | Shirt sponsors (sleeve) | Shorts sponsors | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ajaccio |  | | Duarig | Restaurants du Cœur, Collectivité Territoriale de Corse, Conseil Général Corse du Sud | Europcar | Géant Casino | Corse-Matin | |
| Bastia | | | Kappa | Oscaro, Collectivité Territoriale de Corse, Odalys Vacances, Corsica Ferries | Vocalcom | Afflelou, Haute-Corse | Géant Casino, Kaporal 5 Jeans | |
| Bordeaux | |  | Puma | Kia | Groupama | None | None | |
| Brest | |  | Nike | Quéguiner Matériaux (H)/Yaourt Malo (A & 3)/La Potagère (A & 3), Geodis Calberson, Breizh Cola | Casino Supermarchés | GUYOT Environnement | Centre Dépannage Gaz, Oceania Hotels | |
| Evian | | | Kappa | Evian, Pilot, Danette, Geodis Calberson, Sword Group | Samsic | Agence de Voyages SAT | VEKA | |
| Lille | | | Umbro | Partouche | Partouche | Nord-Pas-de-Calais | None | |
| Lorient | |  | Macron | La Trinitaine, Armor-Lux | Salaun Holidays | None | Lorient Agglomération | |
| Lyon | |  | Adidas | Hyundai/Veolia, MDA Electroménager, UNICEF | Groupama | Renault Trucks | Intermarché | |
| Marseille | | | Adidas | Intersport | Groupama | OpusDry (H)/Technitoit (A) | Groupama | |
| Montpellier | | | Nike | Sud de France, Dyneff, Montpellier Agglomération, Partouche | La Région Languedoc-Roussillon | FAUN-Environnement | Système U, Wati B | |
| Nancy | |  | Umbro | Groupe DLSI, Sopalin, Geodis Calberson, NetBet Sport | Comarch | Chaussea, Grand Nancy | Caisse d'Epargne | |
| Nice | | | Burrda | Mutuelles du Soleil, Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur | Pizzorno Environnement | Rémanence Hygiène et Propreté | Ville de Nice | |
| Paris Saint-Germain |  | | Nike | Fly Emirates | None | Indesit | None | |
| Reims | | | Hummel | Transports Caillot/Epsilon Global/Sanei Ascenseurs, Geodis Calberson, Ace Crédit | TSO Logistique | Ville de Reims | Sanei Ascenseurs/Transports Caillot | |
| Rennes | | Romain Danzé | Puma | Samsic, rennes.fr | Blot Immobilier | Association ELA | Breizh Cola | |
| Saint-Étienne | | | Adidas | Winamax, Mister-Auto, Conseil général de la Loire en Rhône-Alpes | Triangle Intérim | Markal | Saint-Étienne Métropole, Loire, Rapid CroQ' | |
| Sochaux | | | Lotto | Mobil 1, Franche-Comté | Pays de Montbéliard Agglomération | Peugeot 208 | Téréva | |
| Toulouse | | | Kappa | JD Patrimoine, JD Promotion | Newrest | None | None | |
| Troyes | | Duarig | Afflelou, Colorpro Design (H)/Isolapro (A), Intermarché | Afflelou | Urbanéo (H)/Dugain Piscines (A) | Troyes, FSE Securite Grand Est | ||
| Valenciennes | | | Uhlsport | GDE Recyclage (H)/Prévoir Assurances (A), Toyota | Prévoir Assurances (H)/GDE Recyclage (A) | Nord-Pas-de-Calais | Konica Minolta |
| 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 | Sacked | [24] | Off-season | Claude Puel | [25] | Off-season | |
| Brest | Corentin Martins | Mutual consent | Off-season | Landry Chauvin | [26] | Off-season | ||
| Ajaccio | Olivier Pantaloni | Resigned | [27] | Off-season | Alex Dupont | [28] | Off-season | |
| Marseille | Didier Deschamps | Mutual consent | [29] | Off-season | Élie Baup | [30] | Off-season | |
| Evian | Pablo Correa | Sacked | [31] | 18th | Pascal Dupraz | 18th | ||
| Ajaccio | Alex Dupont | Sacked | [32] | 14th | Albert Emon | [33] | 14th | |
| Nancy | Jean Fernandez | Resigned | [34] | 20th | Patrick Gabriel | [35] | 20th | |
| Brest | Landry Chauvin | Sacked | [36] | 18th | Corentin Martins | [37] | 18th |
Source: Official Goalscorers' Standings
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Evian | Montpellier | 2–3 | ||
| | Lyon | Marseille | 1–4 | ||
 | Paris SG | Valenciennes | 0–4 |
See also: Trophées UNFP du football.
| Award | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Player of the Season | Zlatan Ibrahimović | Paris Saint-Germain |
| Young Player of the Season | Florian Thauvin | Bastia |
| Goalkeeper of the Season | Salvatore Sirigu | Paris Saint-Germain |
| Goal of the Season | Saber Khalifa | Evian |
| Manager of the Season | Christophe Galtier | Saint-Étienne |
| Carlo Ancelotti | Paris Saint-Germaim |
| Team of the Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Salvatore Sirigu (Paris Saint-Germain) | ||||
| Defence | Christophe Jallet (Paris Saint-Germain) | Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain) |  Nicolas Nkoulou (Marseille) | Maxwell (Paris Saint-Germain) | |
| Midfield | Dimitri Payet (Lille) | Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain) | Blaise Matuidi (Paris Saint-Germain) | Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille) | |
| Attack | Zlatan Ibrahimović (Paris Saint-Germain) | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Saint-Étienne) | |||
See main article: List of French football transfers summer 2012.
