The LFP's decision to postpone the classic to this Monday evening, in the midst of the Ballon d'Or, was experienced as an affront by Paris Saint-Germain. The capital's club, deprived of the possibility of celebrating its favorite Ousmane Dembélé, shouted in scandal. One would have thought that this situation arranged OM, which obtained playing quickly and saw its rival plunged into a logistical puzzle. It is quite the opposite.
A spoiled party and suspicion
In Marseille too, anger is immense. The club, in a press release, regretted that “The conditions are not met”, thinking of his “Supporters mobilized and already present”. The party, prepared for weeks, is spoiled. But frustration goes far beyond. On social networks, a feeling of injustice dominates, and a target is all found: PSG, and more particularly its president.
For many Marseille fans, this postponement is not due to the weather, but to an supposed pressure from Nasser Al-Khelaïfi to allow his team, reduced by injuries, to win 24 hours of recovery. “The big QSG above the instances”, “Qatar Airways Partner of Météo France”… The accusations, although in conspiracy, testify to a deep suspicion towards a club deemed too powerful.
A conflict of interest that serves everyone
The reality is that this postponement does not help anyone. OM has refused PSG's proposals to play on Monday afternoon or in December, wanting to put its supporters “In the best conditions”. But in the end, the club ends up with a weekly match, a potentially less hot atmosphere, and the feeling of having been cheated.
This story is the symptom of French football that works on the head. Instead of being a party, its most prestigious poster has become a source of controversy and frustrations for both camps. The LFP, by making a purely regulatory decision without a global vision, has succeeded in displeasing everyone. The rain only revealed a deeper truth: in the war between OM and PSG, it is often Ligue 1 that loses at the end.
