Olympique Lyonnais is set to kick off its Ligue 1 campaign on August 22 against Toulouse FC. The club had approached the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) with a request to reschedule this fixture, which was originally slated just days after their potential UEFA Champions League playoff match. However, the LFP has rejected this proposed alteration to the schedule.
Early skirmishes between the LFP and Olympique Lyonnais appear to be starting even before the season’s official commencement. Ahead of their August 22 encounter with Toulouse FC for the inaugural Ligue 1 matchday, the Rhône-based club’s management formally requested the professional football league to postpone the game. The rationale behind this appeal was that the fixture could potentially fall between the two legs of a crucial UEFA Champions League playoff, should Olympique Lyonnais advance from the preceding round.
Considering this a legitimate concern, the Lyon board duly informed the LFP of their petition via official correspondence.
To bolster their argument, Olympique Lyonnais invoked the “PSG precedent,” emphasizing the broader interests of French football. Paris Saint-Germain had previously benefited from several match postponements in prior seasons, allowing them ample preparation time for their significant European commitments.
potential champions league playoff clashes with league fixtures for ol
Consequently, the seven-time French champions were anticipating a favorable response from the League, believing it to be a matter of fairness and equity.
However, the LFP’s board of directors, contrary to expectations, rejected the possibility of a reschedule. The governing body stated its refusal to disrupt the Ligue 1 television programming agenda, especially not as early as the first matchday.
This decision marks an initial calendar setback for Paulo Fonseca‘s squad. The Gones will now face a demanding schedule at the end of August as they strive for UEFA Champions League qualification.
