The French Professional Football League (LFP) decided on Thursday to postpone the matches of PSG and Strasbourg in Ligue 1, which fell between the two legs of the quarter-finals of European competitions. This decision is causing controversy, as Lens, who PSG was supposed to face on April 11 (between matches against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League on April 8 and 14), opposed the postponement. PSG had already postponed their match against Nantes from matchday 26, which fell between their clashes with Chelsea in the Champions League round of 16. That match will now take place on April 22, pushing the Lens-PSG match to May—the first available date will be between the penultimate (May 9) and the last (May 16) matchdays. This situation is similar to the Sporting vs. Tondela match. The decision to postpone was made unanimously by the LFP's board of directors, which approved the request from PSG and Strasbourg to prioritize the teams' preparation for European clashes. Strasbourg was set to face Brest on April 12, between their matches against Mainz in the UEFA Conference League on April 9 and 16. Joseph Oughourlian, president of Lens, fought against the postponement, arguing that the decision represents a lack of 'fairness' among Ligue 1 teams. The controversy has intensified in recent days, with accusations about the disproportionate power PSG wields over French football and the LFP itself. Despite Lens' opposition, the LFP's board of directors had full authority to alter the schedule, as stipulated in Article 22 of its statutes, which grants it the power to 'make any modifications' during the season, and it is common practice for the entity to facilitate the preparation of French teams in European competitions. Lens (2nd) and PSG (1st) are in direct competition for the title, separated by one point, although the Parisians have the aforementioned match against Nantes pending.
PSG Liverpool remains central to this story.
PSG Liverpool remains central to this story.
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