Ligue Élite de Football Américain

The Ligue Élite de Football Américain or LEFA (Elite League of American Football in English) is the top-level American Football league of France. The league was founded in 1982.[1]

Ligue Élite de Football Américain
SportAmerican football
Inaugural season1982
No. of teams12, in two six-team divisions
CountryFrance
Most recent
champion(s)
Thonon Black Panthers (2019)
Most titlesLa Courneuve Flash (11)
Official websiteweb site

History

American football was brought to France during WWI, it was not until 1980 that a physical education teacher, Laurent Plegelatte , created the first team, Spartacus de Paris. The same year, he founded and chaired the National Committee for the development of American Football.The Ligue Élite de Football Américain was created in 1982 under the leadership of Laurent Plegelatte with four participates. Spartacus de Paris, were the first ever champions of the Ligue Élite de Football Américain, but are now a defunct team as of 1993.The 1983 saw leadership change from Laurent Plegelatte to Michel Gofman.

League set-up

The league is partitioned into two divisions, each with six teams. The top three teams of each division enter the playoffs. Until 1994 the final was called Casque d'Or. Since 1995 the trophy of the league and the name of the final is the Casque de Diamant.

Teams

Active teams

Team City/Departement Stadium Founded
North Division
La Courneuve Flash La Courneuve, Seine-Saint-Denis Stade de Marville 1984
Amiens Spartiates Amiens, Somme Stade du Grand Marais 1987
Molosses d'Asnières Asnières-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine Jacques Anquetil Stadium and Léo Lagrange Stadium 1992
Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône Cougars Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône, Val d'Oise Stade Escutary 1989
Corsaires d'Évry Évry, Essonne Parc des Loges stadium 1994
Vikings de Villeneuve-d'Ascq Villeneuve-d'Ascq, Hauts-de-France Thames stadium 1986
South Division
Aix-en-Provence Argonautes Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône Stade municipal Georges 1986
Thonon Black Panthers Thonon-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie Stade Joseph-Moynat 1987
Grenoble Centaures Grenoble, Isère Stade Teisseire 1984
Blue Stars de Marseille Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône Pierre-Delort Stadium 1994
Hurricanes de Montpellier Montpellier, Hérault Stade Sabathé 2005
Grizzlys de Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanquer Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque, Pyrénées-Orientales 2012

Championship Game

Results of the Ligue Élite de Football Américain championship.[2]
Season Edition Date Stadium Winner Score Loser
1982I1982 Vélodrome de Vincennes (Paris) Spartacus de Paris44 – 00Météores de Nogent
1983IIMay 21, 1983 Stade Jean-Bouin Spartacus de Paris (2)34 – 14Anges Bleus de Joinville
1984III1984 Stade Jean-BouinAnges Bleus de Joinville20 – 00Spartacus de Paris
1985IV1985 Stade Jean-BouinParis Jets06 – 00Challengers de Paris
1986V1986 Stade Jean-BouinAnges Bleus de Joinville (2)20 – 02Spartacus de Paris
1987VIJune 21, 1987 Stade Jean-BouinCastors de Paris75 – 00Paris Jets
1988VIIJune 26, 1988 Stade Jean-BouinCastors de Paris (2)07 – 00Anges Bleus de Joinville
1989VIIIJune 18, 1989 Stade Jean-BouinCastors de Paris (3)14 – 13Aix-en-Provence Argonautes
1990IXJune 24, 1990 Stade Jean-BouinAix-en-Provence Argonautes34 – 07Castors de Paris
1991XJune 16, 1991 Stade Jean-BouinAix-en-Provence Argonautes (2)29 – 07Castors de Paris
1992XIJune 13, 1992 Stade Jean-BouinAix-en-Provence Argonautes (3)33 – 20Mousquetaires de Paris
1993XIIJune 12, 1993 Stade Jean-BouinCastors de Paris (4)27 – 19Aix-en-Provence Argonautes
1994XIIIJune 26, 1994 Stade Robert Bobin Mousquetaires de Paris28 – 22Aix-en-Provence Argonautes
1995XIVJune 25, 1995 Stade CharlétyAix-en-Provence Argonautes (4)36 – 16Mousquetaires de Paris
1996XVJune 16, 1996 Stade CharlétyMousquetaires de Paris (2)23 – 19Aix-en-Provence Argonautes
1997XVIJune 14, 1997 Stade CharlétyLa Courneuve Flash45 – 28Aix-en-Provence Argonautes
1998XVIIJune 14, 1998 Stade CharlétyAix-en-Provence Argonautes (5)28 – 14La Courneuve Flash
1999XVIIIJune 20, 1999 Georges-Carcassonne StadiumAix-en-Provence Argonautes (6)27 – 20Molosses d'Asnières
2000XIXJune 17, 2000 Stade René-GaillardLa Courneuve Flash (2)68 – 35Aix-en-Provence Argonautes
2001XXJune 23, 2001 Stade MarvilleAix-en-Provence Argonautes (7)30 – 23La Courneuve Flash
2002XXIJune 23, 2002 Georges-Carcassonne StadiumAix-en-Provence Argonautes (8)23 – 21La Courneuve Flash
2003XXIIJune 1, 2003 Georges-Carcassonne StadiumLa Courneuve Flash (3)28 – 24Aix-en-Provence Argonautes
2004XXIIIJune 19, 2004 Stade MarvilleAmiens Spartiates41 – 31Aix-en-Provence Argonautes
2005XXIVJune 18 , 2005 Stade MarvilleLa Courneuve Flash (4)33 – 27Amiens Spartiates
2006XXVJune 17 , 2006 Stade MarvilleLa Courneuve Flash (5)48 – 24Aix-en-Provence Argonautes
2007XXVIJune 16 , 2007 Stade Sébastien CharlétyLa Courneuve Flash (6)21 – 06Thonon Black Panthers
2008XXVIIJune 28 , 2008 Stade Sébastien CharlétyLa Courneuve Flash (7)28 – 22Elancourt Templiers
2009XXVIIIJune 20 , 2009 Parc des Sports Michel HidalgoLa Courneuve Flash (8)41 – 27Thonon Black Panthers
2010XXIXJune 27 , 2010 Parc des Sports Michel HidalgoAmiens Spartiates (2)24 – 21La Courneuve Flash
2011XXXJune 18 , 201 Stade Sébastien CharlétyLa Courneuve Flash (9)45 – 27Centaures de Grenoble
2012XXXIJune 23 , 2012 Stade Sébastien CharlétyAmiens Spartiates (3)10 – 07Thonon Black Panthers
2013XXXIIJune 22 , 2013Stade Sébastien CharlétyThonon Black Panthers14 – 00La Courneuve Flash
2014XXXIIIJune 28 , 2014Stade Sébastien CharlétyThonon Black Panthers (2)35 – 34Molosses d'Asnières
2015 XXIVJune 20 , 2015Stade Sébastien CharlétyCougars de Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône28 – 07Thonon Black Panthers
2016 XXXV June 25 , 2016Stade Guy Boniface Cougars de Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône (2)28 – 17Dauphins de Nice
2017 XXXVI June 24 , 2017Stade Parsemain La Courneuve Flash (10)44 – 40Thonon Black Panthers
2018 XXXVII June 30 , 2018Stade Parsemain La Courneuve Flash (11)20 – 14Thonon Black Panthers
2019 XXXVIII June 29 , 2019Stadium Lille Métropole Thonon Black Panthers (3)24 – 07Cougars de Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône
2020 XXXIX July 4, 2020 Stadium Lille Métropole Upcoming or ongoing competition

Notes

  1. Russ Crawford, Le Football: A History of American Football in France (University of Nebraska Press; 2016).
  2. "Histoire et Palmarès du Casque de Diamant". fffa.org (in French). Retrieved 14 February 2020.
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