About Coupe de la Ligue

The Coupe de la Ligue was a French league cup competition organised by the Ligue de Football Professionnel, primarily involving professional clubs from the top divisions. Although its modern and most recognised format began in 1994, the idea of a league cup in France dates back earlier. In the 1960s, a short-lived version of the competition was held around 1963–1965, but it was experimental and lacked long-term continuity or official status comparable to later editions.

The modern Coupe de la Ligue was relaunched in 1994 as a permanent domestic cup designed exclusively for professional clubs, unlike the Coupe de France which is open to all levels of football. It was created to generate additional competitive matches and provide another route into European competitions, with the winner often qualifying for the UEFA Cup/Europa League. Over time, the tournament became increasingly dominated by the strongest Ligue 1 clubs, particularly Paris Saint-Germain, who won it multiple times and became its most successful team.

Despite its role in French football, the competition was frequently criticised for adding fixture congestion and offering limited competitive balance. Smaller clubs rarely reached the later stages, while top teams often treated it as secondary to the league and Coupe de France. In 2019, the decision was made to abolish the tournament after the 2019–20 season, with its final edition won by Paris Saint-Germain against Lyon. This marked the end of both its modern era and the broader history of league cup experiments in French football.