Five substitutes to be allowed in Ligue 1

PARIS: Clubs in France’s top two divisions will be allowed to make five substitutions per match next season, the French league (LFP) announced on Friday.

The decision brings Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 into line with most other top European leagues in allowing extra replacements due to fixture congestion caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Football’s rules makers (IFAB) approved the temporary change to the law in May.

As in other leagues, managers will only be allowed to make changes on three occasions during play, as well as at half time. In Ligue 1, teams will also be allowed to name up to 20 players on their team sheets instead of 18. The new French top-flight season is set to start on August 22, after last term was cut short due to the virus outbreak with Paris Saint-Germain declared champions.