Olympique Lyonnais had made this request contingent on a specific condition: their advancement to the Champions League play-offs. To secure a spot in the prestigious Champions League group stage, the Lyon squad must first navigate the third preliminary round, with matches slated for August 4th or 5th (first leg) and August 11th or 12th (second leg). Should they succeed, they would then proceed to the play-offs, the ultimate hurdle before the Champions League proper, featuring an away match on August 18th or 19th and the return leg on August 25th or 26th.
The core issue arises from the Ligue 1 opening day fixture, scheduled for August 22nd, which inconveniently falls between the two crucial legs of the play-off round. It was precisely to mitigate this scheduling conflict that OL sought to postpone their away fixture against Toulouse, believing that a lighter fixture list would significantly enhance their prospects of qualifying for the Champions League.
Lyon’s leadership also underscored that their participation in the Champions League would yield significant advantages for French football as a whole.
However, during its meeting this Monday, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) formally denied the club’s petition. The governing body notably determined that commencing the Ligue 1 season with a deferred match was undesirable, especially given the league’s comprehensive broadcast rollout on its new platform.
Barring any unforeseen calendar adjustments, should OL advance to the Champions League play-offs, they will face a demanding sequence: a European fixture, an away trip to Toulouse in Ligue 1, and then the return leg of their European play-off, all within a single week.
