The decision does not pass to everyone. The Professional Football League (LFP) announced this Friday that it had postponed several matches at the end of the Ligue 1 season to allow the last two European clubs, PSG qualified in the semi-final of the Champions League and OM in the League Europa, to play their continental meeting calmly has raised numerous criticisms regarding the fairness of the end of the championship.
On Prime Video, Ligue 1 broadcaster, on the sidelines of the opening match of the 31st day between Lorient and Nice, a club doubly impacted by the postponements, consultants and former players Jérôme Alonzo and Benjamin Nivet were the spokespersons .
“These are two clubs in which I played (1995-1997 at OM, 2001-2008 at PSG), obviously I want them to go far in the European Cup,” opened Alonzo. But obviously it (the end of the championship) is distorted. We give on one side to take from someone on the other. I put myself in the place of the Niçois, the Lorientais, of all those who will endure these blocks of three matches in eight days, it is obviously abnormal and in other countries this is not the case. »
FC Barcelona and Benfica, for example, actually played well the weekend between their two matches against PSG and OM, with the results that we know.
But beyond the benefits for European clubs, Nivet points out in particular what is imposed, in the process, on Nice: “There are important issues for Nice at the end of the season, it is not normal not to play during 15 days (from April 28 against Strasbourg to May 11, against Le Havre) and suddenly playing three matches in one week (Le Havre on the 11th, Paris on the 15th and Lille on May 18). Playing PSG on Wednesday then going to Lille at the end of the season which can be very important for the Niçois, obviously it is a problem of fairness. »