The integrity of Ligue 1 is in question, as Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain have officially proposed to Ligue 1 that their league game against title contenders Lens be postponed.
In reality, this is now more of a dispute, and the one immediately calls into question the credibility and integrity of the league under high scrutiny, as it is now about PSG’s European competitive side and Lens’ call for fair play.
This inflammatory decision is now very much about the league bending its principles and structure, and giving in to the financial power play of an organisation.
PSG and Ligue 1 Develop Ugly Antics?
Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain officially proposed moving their game to a later date in May to allow enough rest for their Champions League tie against Liverpool after international duty.
This has received backlash, as it is not the first time PSG has proposed such a thing. They successfully proposed such a thing against Nantes a couple of weeks ago, before the second leg tie of the round of 16 against Chelsea, despite holding a 5:2 win at the Parc des Princes.
Le Parisians are now trying the same trick for their Champions League tie against Liverpool to ensure the squad has enough rest for their second-leg tie at Anfield against the current Premier League champions.
For context, this is more of PSG trying to undermine and downplay the competitiveness of Ligue 1, and it brings its integrity into question here as PSG is prioritising the Champions League over Ligue 1, and the LFP is also caught in it, not just due to coefficient spots in the UCL but also for the financial reasons here.
PSG are also trying to go far in the UCL, and, according to this BBC article, UCL semi-finalists get £13M and a total of £45.3M for winning the UCL tournament, with that portion from the knockout, excluding group games.
This proposal did not sit well with Lens, who has released an official statement.
Lens Statement!
According to the official statement on X by Lens, they clearly oppose the proposal from the Ligue 1 champions and are appealing to the LFP to leave the fixture as is rather than postpone it.
“It does indeed appear to us that a troubling sentiment is taking hold: that of a French championship gradually relegated to the status of an adjustment variable at the whim of the European imperatives of some. A singular conception of sporting equity, the equivalent of which is hard to find in other major continental competitions.”
Their statement also states that the league is currently being degraded due to PSG’s precedence in the Champions League and calls for fair play, arguing that the league should be treated just as saliently as the Champions League by PSG.
The second aspect of fair play here is that Ligue 1 is giving in to the requests of PSG, who are financially dominant over the rest of the league.
Lens’s Ligue 1 campaign is also being treated here with levity, which is at the expense of them potentially winning the league, as this is a title-deciding fixture.
Lens also made mention of not partaking in any league match for 15 days, which will result in a fixture congestion later, within the span of three days, which is detrimental to their season, as Lens are currently having, undoubtedly, a prolific season as they sit in second place, one point behind Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, who also have a game in hand.
Lastly, Lens also noted that this type of fiasco doesn’t occur in other European leagues, as even though Mainz is playing against Freiburg after Strasbourg, Mainz’s and Freiburg’s match isn’t postponed because of Mainz’s Conference League tie, even though the calendar permits such a thing.
Personally, I clearly side with Lens here, as they have clearly been subject to unfair sporting and financial decisions, and this is also starting to look like a common theme in French football.
Common Theme?
Earlier this season, PSG’s tie against Nantes was postponed due to PSG’s UCL round of 16 against Chelsea.
The Parisians also did that last season against Nantes in the build-up to the UCL quarter-finals against Aston Villa, which they won in the second leg.
Marseille also did so two years ago, as their league game against Nice was postponed due to Marseille’s Europa League quarter-final against Benfica. Marseille’s then-president, Pablo Longoria, thanked the league for showing consideration to the French teams involved.
Strasbourg have also proposed a match suspension of their league game against Brest in order to aid their preparation for their UEFA Conference League quarter-final tie against Mainz.
LFP verdicts!
According to GetFootballNewsFrance, Lens manager is highly expectant of the League to give in to PSG’s demands, and a final verdict will be announced on Thursday
Several outlets have reported that, under Article 22, Ligue 1 has the power to change the fixture schedule, regardless of whether Lens disagrees with the decision.
If granted by LFP, which it most likely will be, Lens will have to play PSG and Lyon within three days in the final week of Ligue 1.
In short, it’s a battle over whether the integrity of France’s closest title race in years should take a back seat to PSG’s Champions League ambitions, and the decision rests with the league authorities.
