European Cup |-align="center" bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | 2 || FC Nantes Atlantique || 54 || 38 || 22 || 11 || 5 || 74 || 36 || +38 || || UEFA Cup |-align="center" | 3 || Bordeaux || 49 || 38 || 18 || 13 || 7 || 57 || 34 || +23 || || UEFA Cup |-align="center" bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | 4 || AS Monaco FC || 49 || 38 || 19 || 11 || 8 || 58 || 41 || +17 || || UEFA Cup |-align="center" | 5 || Paris Saint-Germain FC || 46 || 38 || 17 || 12 || 9 || 62 || 50 || +12 || || |-align="center" bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | 6 || Olympique Lyonnais || 41 || 38 || 14 || 13 || 11 || 70 || 54 || +16 || || |-align="center" | 7 || RC Strasbourg || 40 || 38 || 14 || 12 || 12 || 44 || 47 || -3 || || |-align="center" bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | 8 || AS Nancy || 37 || 38 || 15 || 7 || 16 || 55 || 49 || +6 || || |-align="center" | 9 || FC Metz || 36 || 38 || 10 || 16 || 12 || 48 || 53 || -5 || || |-align="center" bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | 10 || Auxerre || 36 || 38 || 10 || 16 || 12 || 46 || 52 || -6 || || |-align="center" | 11 || US Valenciennes-Anzin|| 35 || 38 || 12 || 12 || 14 || 51 || 70 || -19 || || |-align="center" bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | 12 || SEC Bastia || 35 || 38 || 13 || 9 || 16 || 50 || 55 || -5 || || UEFA Cup Winner's Cup (Winner of Coupe de France) |-align="center" | 13 || RC Lens || 34 || 38 || 10 || 14 || 14 || 46 || 48 || -2 || || |-align="center" bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | 14 || FC Sochaux || 34 || 38 || 10 || 14 || 14 || 51 || 59 || -8 || || |-align="center" | 15 || OGC Nice || 32 || 38 || 10 || 12 || 16 || 47 || 61 || -14 || || |-align="center" bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | 16 || Stade Lavallois || 31 || 38 || 10 || 11 || 17 || 49 || 55 || -6 || || |-align="center" | 17 || Lille || 31 || 38 || 10 || 11 || 17 || 55 || 71 || -16 || || |-align="center" bgcolor="#EFEFEF" | 18 ||FC Tours || 31 || 38 || 9 || 13 || 16 || 54 || 71 || -17 || || Will play in Division 1 season 1981/1982
(Winner of barrages against Toulouse FC) |- align=center style="background:#FFB0B0;" | 19 || Nimes Olympique || 26 || 38 || 6 || 14 || 18 || 46 || 66 || -20 || || Relegated to Division 2 |- align=center style="background:#FFB0B0;" | 20 || Angers SCO || 24 || 38 || 5 || 14 || 19 || 33 || 66 || -33 || || Relegated to Division 2 |}