This is THE controversy of the moment in Ligue 1. PSG has made a request to the LFP to postpone the match in Lens on April 11, counting for the 29th day of the championship. The capital club wants to postpone this clash at the top of the table, located right between the quarter-final first leg (April 8) and the return against Liverpool (April 14) with the idea of preserving itself. The recipe worked well in the previous round against Chelsea since the FC Nantes reception was rescheduled for Wednesday April 22 at 7 p.m.
Waldemar Kita was not opposed to it, citing the interest of French football, unlike the Canary supporters, who were unhappy with this change, considering that their club had lost to the powerful economic ogre of the championship. Lens did not intend to imitate its Loire-Atlantique counterpart. As of last Friday, after the big victory against Angers, Pierre Sage opposed this project. “We, at base level, do not agree. (…) I understand that having more rest allows you to perform well. (…) We don’t have to endure these things“.
Lens-PSG and Brest-Strasbourg in the balance
The Sang et Or even published a press release to express their disapproval. “It appears to us 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 some. A unique concept of sporting fairness, the equivalent of which is difficult to find in other major continental competitions.» It must be said that this meeting between Lensois and Parisians is important since they occupy 2nd and 1st place respectively, and only one point separates them at the moment.
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Problem is, Lens may well express its refusal to modify the calendar, but it is not the decision-maker. Joseph Oughourlian had no illusions, as he is a declared opponent of Nasser Al-Khelaïfi. It is up to the LFP board of directors to decide. However, the Artesian club does not have any representative in high places, unlike the reigning European champion who can count on Victoriano Melero (representative of Foot Unis and CEO of PSG), and its president Al-Khelaïfi, in addition to declared supporters. After discussions and votes from the members of the CA, the LFP made its decisions for Lens-PSG, and Brest-Strasbourg, also at stake. And unanimously, the postponement of these two meetings was voted! These two matches will take place between the 33rd day and the 34th day, therefore between May 9 and May 16.
The LFP made its decision official via a press release: “at the request of Paris Saint-Germain and RC Strasbourg in order to prepare in the best conditions for their respective quarter-finals in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Conference League, the LFP Board of Directors has decided unanimously outside the clubs concerned to postpone the matches RC Lens – Paris Saint-Germain and Stade Brestois – RC Strasbourg, counting for the 29th day of Ligue 1 Mc Donald’s, to Wednesday May 13. These decisions are part of the strong strategic line of the Board of Directors to allow France to maintain its fifth place in the UEFA index, which allows it to obtain four places in the UEFA Champions League. These two decisions are accompanied by a proposal made to RC Lens to adjust its calendar to bring forward the RC Lens-FC Nantes meeting (matchday 33) to Friday May 8 in the event that Paris Saint-Germain qualifies for the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
