The Director General of Lens, Benjamin Parrot, defended the club’s position against the postponement of the match against PSG, which will be decided (or not) by the LFP board on Thursday, as reported in L’Equipe.
According to their own president, Lens does not hold out much hope of being heard by the LFP. The Racing team, currently second in Ligue 1, opposes the request to postpone the match against PSG, scheduled for April 11 between the first and second legs of the Champions League quarter-finals against Liverpool. Paris wants to be free of a match this weekend to focus on their two European appointments. The decision will be made on Thursday by the LFP board. “May the discussions be lively at the next LFP board meeting (on Thursday). When it comes to fairness, ideas can clash… I don’t have much hope!” said president Joseph Oughourlian on his Linkedin account on Tuesday.
“In an interview with L’Equipe this Wednesday, the club’s Director General, Benjamin Parrot, reiterated his view by urging the LFP to defend its flagship competition, Ligue 1. “First of all, let’s be clear, we have nothing against PSG, they are well within their rights to make this request,” he said. “But factually, PSG has chosen the Champions League, as has its broadcaster Canal+. Now, if the LFP does not defend Ligue 1, who will? If it does not defend the continuity and respect for what Ligue 1 is, who will?”
“The fact that the LFP, as the guarantor of the competition, can have changing decisions raises questions about sporting fairness,” he continued. “When we start the season, we have the tenth budget, we build a squad and a strategy to play in the Championship and the French Cup. That the current European champion can still be involved in European competitions in the spring is good news, but it is not without consequences. Today, we are asking to modify a known schedule, for which a programming has been done. We see that Ligue 1 is becoming the adjustment variable of the Champions League.”
The executive laments the imbalance that a postponement (on May 6 or 13) would cause in Lens’ schedule with a 15-day break, followed by a series of matches. However, the club does not plan to send a U19 team against PSG to protest against a potentially unfavorable decision by the LFP. Benjamin Parrot also assures that the club will not request to postpone one of the “three matches in seven days” scheduled for the end of April, with two Ligue 1 matchdays and a Coupe de France semi-final against Toulouse.
