Last minute change. While Paris Saint-Germain was due to launch its 2026-2027 season at the Parc des Princes, the reigning double European champions will finally travel to Rennes this Sunday for the first day of Ligue 1. The cause? The state of the Parisian pitch, which does not allow this first match to be hosted. After looking for a fallback solution in Ile-de-France, PSG finally asked Stade Rennais to reverse the reception venue. A request accepted by the SRFC, which will therefore receive the Parisians at Roazhon Park. Yes, but the controversy quickly escalated when the Breton club demanded to host Paris Saint-Germain twice this season.
Indeed, for Rennes, it is not a real inversion of the calendar, but a consequence of the problem encountered by PSG with its pitch. As a reminder, the LFP regulations provide that an inversion “will have no impact on the rest of the schedule, except in exceptional circumstances”. “There are regulations: they must apply. We are not the ones at fault in this matter, we must put things in their place”indicated Nicolas de Tavernost, chairman of the board of directors of Stade Rennais.
Luis Enrique does not want to play twice away against Rennes
For its part, the capital club is defending another reading and wishes to return to its stadium for the return match. Present at a press conference this Saturday, Luis Enrique also returned to this topical subject. “For us, it doesn’t change the way we prepare for the match, we do the same thing whether it’s home or away. It’s true that it’s different but you have to adapt”first launched the Spanish technician concerning the inversion before sending a very clear message for the return meeting, which will take place next March.
“It’s clear that we like to play attacking football, in an attractive way. You need land in the best conditions. This is not the case today. I don’t know the regulations but when you start a competition, there is a very important principle, it is equality between all the teams. It is not possible to play away twice against the same team”. A clear message as the LFP Competitions Commission will meet on August 28 to rule on the consequences of this relocation.
