PARIS (FRANCE) (ITALPRESS) – Lens is raising its voice and rebelling. As it did ahead of the round of 16 tie against Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain had asked the League to postpone their April 11 Ligue 1 match against Lens to better prepare for the Champions League quarterfinals against Liverpool (April 8 and 14).
Unlike Nantes, who had agreed to the Parisians’ request, the Sang et Or not only refused, but also attacked PSG and the French football institutions. “On March 6, the schedule for the match between Racing Club de Lens and Paris Saint-Germain was finalized, formalizing a framework to which everyone was invited to adhere,” reads a statement from the club, which also sits second in the league, one point behind PSG, who, however, have a game in hand.
“RCL has made it clear to Paris Saint-Germain from the very first requests that it will not change this date.” “It seems to us that a worrying sentiment is emerging: that of a French league progressively relegated to the role of a variable of adaptation based on the European commitments of some. A singular concept of sporting fairness, the likes of which are difficult to find in other major continental competitions.”
Lens points out that, if they granted the postponement request, they would find themselves without a game for 15 days and then end up in a tour de force given that they are still competing in the domestic cup, “a pace that respects neither the expected pace at the start of the season nor the ability of a club to handle these types of new commitments without repercussions. We should therefore accept that the league’s tenth budget adapts to the needs of the most powerful, in the name of interests that clearly now outweigh the national framework, already relaxed in recent seasons,” a reference to the reduction of Ligue 1 to 18 teams and the elimination of the League Cup.
“Beyond this specific case, what’s at stake is the respect due to the competition itself. It’s legitimate to question whether the championship sometimes seems to take a back seat to other ambitions, however legitimate they may be. Racing Club de Lens remains committed to fairness, clarity of the rules, and respect for all stakeholders. These are simple principles for fair and respected French football”.
-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).
