The saga surrounding the postponement of the match on the 29th day of Ligue 1 between Racing Club de Lens and Paris Saint-Germain, scheduled for April 11 at the Stade Bollaert, continues to cause a lot of noise. As expected, the Capital club requested the LFP to postpone this poster, in order to better manage its C1 schedule and to benefit from a few days of rest between the two quarter-final matches against Liverpool. An approach already undertaken against Nantes a few weeks earlier, but which this time did not meet with the same success. Directly concerned, RC Lens is much more reluctant to the idea of ​​modifying a date fixed in advance.
Because the sporting context weighs heavily in this matter. Indeed, the two teams are engaged in a tight fight at the top of the ranking, thus giving this meeting the appearance of a decisive clash for the title. Under these conditions, the Artesian club refuses to grant a potential advantage to its direct competitor. Internally and publicly, the position of the club chaired by Joseph Oughourlian has always been clear: there is no question of upsetting the fairness of Ligue 1 to respond to PSG’s European constraints.
RC Lens stands up to PSG!
In an official press release, RC Lens detailed the reasons for its opposition. The northern club insists on respecting the calendar, recalling that everyone was then required to comply with it. “ On March 6, the schedule for the match between Racing Club de Lens and Paris Saint-Germain was decided, formalizing a framework to which everyone was then invited to comply. In a spirit of responsibility and moderation, the Racing Club de Lens, from the first requests, made known to PSG its intention not to see this date modified. Faithful to a certain idea of ​​sporting stability, the club had also chosen to restrict itself to any public communication on this subject. However, the recent multiplication of speeches, interventions and various suggestions leads us today to leave this reservation », Indicate the Lensois initially.
Before continuing: “ it appears to us in fact that a worrying feeling is tending to take hold: that of a French championship gradually relegated to the rank of adjustment variable according to the European imperatives of certain people. A unique concept of sporting fairness, the equivalent of which is difficult to find in other major continental competitions. Changing the date of this meeting today would mean, for the Racing Club de Lens, being deprived of competition for 15 days and then playing a series of matches every three days – a rhythm which corresponds neither to that defined at the start of the championship, nor to the means of a club which could absorb this type of new constraints without consequence. It would therefore be understood that the tenth budget of the championship should adapt to the demands of the most powerful, in the name of interests which, clearly, would now go beyond the domestic framework, which has already been reduced in recent seasons (L1 to 18 clubs, cessation of the League Cup). Beyond this particular case, the question asked is more essential: that of the respect due to the competition itself. Because it is permissible to wonder when, on its own soil, the championship sometimes seems relegated behind other ambitions, however legitimate they may be. The Racing Club de Lens remains committed to fairness, clarity of the rules and respect for all stakeholders. Simple principles, for loyal and respected French football. » It now remains for the LFP to decide: will it use its power to impose the postponement or will it try to preserve an already weakened consensus?
