PARIS (AP) 鈥� Paris Saint-Germain wants to postpone its Ligue 1 title clash with Lens because it falls between the Champions League quarterfinal legs against Liverpool.
Lens has rejected moving the April 11 home fixture, saying the French league would be relegated “to accommodate the European ambitions of certain parties.”
A decision by the French league is expected on Thursday. The league has previously helped its teams in European competitions.
Two years ago, for example, Marseille鈥檚 game against Nice was postponed due to Marseille鈥檚 Europa League quarterfinal against Benfica. At that time, France had three teams in European competition 鈥� PSG and Lille were the others 鈥� and Marseille鈥檚 then-president Pablo Longoria thanked the league for showing consideration to the French teams involved.
Ligue 1 is enjoying a . Lens sits one point behind PSG having played one game more.
Their showdown is a thorn for PSG, which is scheduled to host Liverpool three days beforehand, and play the return leg at Anfield three days afterward.
The French league previously postponed PSG’s home match against Nantes 鈥� the game in hand it has on Lens 鈥� because it fell between the two last-16 ties against Chelsea. A rested on aggregate.
But while Nantes agreed to reschedule, Lens sees things far differently.
鈥淚t appears to us that a worrying sentiment is taking hold: that of a French league gradually being relegated to the status of a mere variable to accommodate the European ambitions of certain parties,鈥� Lens said posted on X. 鈥淭his is a peculiar conception of sporting fairness, one that is difficult to find parallels with in other major continental competitions.鈥�
PSG was keen to point out that French clubs going far in European competition benefits French soccer as a whole with regard to the nation’s position in the . UEFA calculates the coefficient based on results in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.
England sent into the Champions League this season due to a huge coefficient ranking. France qualified three teams directly, and Nice failed to get through qualifying for the fourth potential spot.
Exposed to hectic schedule
Lens argued that it has the 10th biggest budget in Ligue 1鈥� way behind PSG’s colossal spending power 鈥� and its smaller squad would be exposed to a hectic schedule. Lens is also playing in the on April 21.
鈥淐hanging the date of this match today would mean that Lens would be deprived of competition for 15 days, followed by matches every three days,鈥� Lens said. 鈥淎 schedule that corresponds neither to the one established at the start of the season, nor to the resources of a club that could absorb this type of new constraint without consequence.鈥�
Lens will play three games in eight days during a tough period from April 17-24, facing Toulouse in Ligue 1 and in the French Cup semifinals then at Brest on April 24. That game is scheduled on a Friday rather than over the weekend, which would have afforded Lens more rest.
Lens won its only French title in 1998 compared to a record , which sealed last season’s trophy with ease. PSG lost only twice and those defeats came after the title was sealed.
鈥淏eyond this specific case the question raised is more fundamental: that of the respect due to the competition itself,鈥� Lens added. 鈥淚t is legitimate to question this when, on its own soil, the league sometimes seems relegated behind other ambitions.鈥�
But another factor could weigh against Lens.
Strasbourg reportedly wants its league game at Brest on April 12 rearranged because it falls between its Conference League quarterfinal against German club Mainz.
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