Ligue 1 will resume its rights this weekend with, from the first day, a particularly anticipated match between Paris Saint-Germain and Stade Rennais. Scheduled for Sunday evening at 8:45 p.m. at the Parc des Princes, this meeting should launch the new championship season with a first shock for the capital club. After an exercise once again marked by great ambitions, PSG immediately intends to set the tone and above all does not want to let the slightest doubt arise. However, the Parisians have just experienced their first disappointment with their defeat against RC Lens last Sunday during the Champions Trophy. Defeated in this second official meeting of the season after the European Super Cup, the French champion wants to react quickly and launch his Ligue 1 campaign on a positive note. Facing Rennes, Luis Enrique’s men will have the opportunity to set the record straight and regain a winning dynamic as soon as they enter the championship.
But this first poster of the season could ultimately experience a totally unexpected scenario. While everything was initially planned for PSG to welcome Rennes to its Parisian lair on Sunday evening, the holding of the meeting at the Parc des Princes is seriously compromised. According to information fromHERE Armoriqueconfirmed by RMC Sportthe Parisian lawn is in a particularly worrying state just a few days before the meeting. The intense heat which hit the capital had a serious impact on the pitch and its deterioration could prevent a Ligue 1 match from being held in conditions deemed satisfactory. A necessarily problematic situation for PSG, which must find a solution a few days before the resumption of the championship. The context is all the more delicate as this meeting must constitute the first premium bonus of the season on League 1+with kickoff scheduled for 8:45 p.m. The Parisian club obviously does not want to take the slightest risk with its pitch, while the League must also ensure that the conditions allow both teams to play normally. The question of the location of the meeting is at the heart of the discussions, while the timetable leaves very little room for maneuver.
A match relocated to Rennes?
Several scenarios are currently being studied to allow this poster to be played out despite the state of the Parisian pitch. The first possibility would consist of purely and simply postponing PSG-Rennes to a later date, but this solution necessarily appears restrictive in an already particularly busy schedule. Another option, much more spectacular, is considered with the inversion of the meeting. According to HERE Armoriquediscussions are underway between the two clubs and the authorities so that the match can finally be played at Roazhon Park on Sunday evening at 8:45 p.m. Rennes would then host PSG for what was initially supposed to be the Bretons’ first trip of the season, while the return match would be organized at the Parc des Princes at a later date. This hypothesis would make it possible to preserve the date and time of the meeting while avoiding a meeting on a Parisian lawn considered too degraded. However, it would involve a major logistical reorganization just a few days before kick-off, in particular for supporters, security systems, ticketing and television organization.
The final decision, however, does not depend solely on the clubs. Seized by Paris Saint-Germain, the LFP competitions commission must look into the matter and rule on the fate of this meeting. The independent body will have to assess the actual state of the pitch at the Parc des Princes and determine whether or not it allows the meeting to be hosted in conditions that meet the championship’s requirements. If the ground is considered unplayable, two main options will then remain on the table with a postponement or a reversal at Roazhon Park. This last solution would obviously be unusual to say the least, but it would allow the match to be kept on Sunday evening and avoid rescheduling in an already busy schedule. PSG-Rennes could thus never take place at the Parc des Princes as planned and ultimately head to Brittany. A decision from the LFP is expected to determine whether the first major meeting of the Parisian season will ultimately be played at home or on the pitch at Roazhon Park, while the Ille-et-Vilaine prefecture must also communicate.
