LOSC’s Request for Match Postponement Denied Ahead of Champions League Clash
Lille’s appeal for a schedule adjustment has been rejected, adding pressure to the team as they prepare for their crucial Champions League round of 16 first-leg match against Borussia Dortmund. The club had hoped to postpone their upcoming Ligue 1 fixture against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), scheduled for Saturday, March 1st, at the Parc des Princes. However, the League of Professional Football (LFP) decided to uphold the original schedule during a meeting on Tuesday, February 25th.
The LFP cited the complexity of rearranging the calendar on short notice as the primary reason for denying Lille’s request. The league officials argued that altering the established schedule would create logistical challenges and potentially disrupt the flow of the competition.
Interestingly, PSG could also have potentially benefited from a few extra days of rest before their own high-stakes Champions League encounter against Liverpool the following Wednesday. The Parisian club, still actively competing in all competitions this season, had a demanding schedule leading up to the Lille match. They faced Olympique Lyonnais in a league game on Sunday, February 23rd, followed by a French Cup quarter-final against Saint-Brieuc on Wednesday.
Moving the Lille game forward to Friday evening was deemed unfeasible. Furthermore, PSG declined the possibility of rescheduling the match to a later date. PSG’s coach, Luis Enrique, had already rested several key players during the Saint-Brieuc cup match and was reluctant to allow those players to go nearly ten days without playing before the crucial clash with Liverpool. The coach has been carefully rotating his squad, distributing playing time to preserve the collective energy.
For Lille, who are striving to secure a top-four finish in the league and qualify for the next Champions League season, every point is of utmost importance. Therefore, the decision to maintain the match schedule on March 1st is a significant blow, particularly considering the formidable opponent they face in PSG, the clear league leaders with a substantial lead over their rivals.
PSG’s impressive form further compounds Lille’s challenge. The Parisian team is currently on a winning streak and has consistently scored an average of four goals per match. Moreover, they remain undefeated against any French team this season.
"With an extra day between the two matches, we would have been quite happy," expressed Benjamin André, Lille’s captain, during a press conference on Friday, February 28th. "It is true that having the match on Saturday followed by the Champions League game on Tuesday is perhaps a little tight."
Lille’s coach, Bruno Genesio, openly voiced his frustration. "What I regret is that the Champions League round of 16 has been scheduled for a long time. So, either we did not believe in the qualification of French clubs for the round of 16, or there was perhaps a way to do things differently and not schedule a PSG-Lille match three days before a Champions League first leg. It would have been perhaps a little more intelligent if we had thought about it a little more in advance."
The disappointment within the Lille camp is amplified by the LFP’s efforts in the previous season to accommodate the schedules of French teams involved in European competitions. During the 29th and 32nd matchdays of Ligue 1, the LFP postponed matches involving PSG, Olympique de Marseille, and Lille to allow them to prepare adequately for their European fixtures.
The decision to reschedule those games generated controversy among teams battling to avoid relegation, as they were forced to cope with congested schedules. However, the LFP justified its actions by emphasizing the overall benefit to French football.
"We do not ignore the impact and the difficulties that this represents for the opponents of the clubs concerned, but it is in the general interest of the league to ensure a maximum number of places for French clubs in European cups and especially in the Champions League in the years to come," the LFP stated at the time.
Lille will also not receive any schedule adjustments after their Champions League second leg against Dortmund on March 12th. The club had requested the postponement of their Ligue 1 match against Nantes, scheduled for three days later. However, Nantes, whose coach, Antoine Kombouaré, was among the most vocal critics of the LFP’s decisions last season, has already rejected this request.
As a result, Lille will face a grueling schedule of five matches in fifteen days, including three away games. However, the team will hope to emerge from this challenging period as a Champions League quarter-finalist for the first time in their history.
