Lens v PSG delay, Paris club hits back at Lens swipe

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·24. März 2026

Lens v PSG delay, Paris club hits back at Lens swipe

Since Paris Saint-Germain qualified for the Champions League quarter-finals against Liverpool (April 8 and 14), there has been talk of a possible postponement of their away match at Lens, scheduled for Saturday, April 11, as part of Ligue 1’s 29th matchday. Even though the Lens club has expressed its resistance, PSG’s request could go through. In the meantime, PSG responded to the newspaper Le Parisien to the very aggressive statement from the Lens club on Monday evening.

“In no way a challenge to the championship.”

“Those close to the club emphasize in particular that this approach, ‘supervised and transparent, in no way constitutes a challenge to the championship. The performances of French clubs involved on the European stage benefit all of French football, in a context where France currently occupies 6th place in the UEFA coefficient for the 2025-2026 season. The stakes are high: securing 5th place in the UEFA coefficient, which means better representation of French football in European competitions, with up to seven clubs qualifying. The success of French clubs in Europe also generates direct benefits for all professional clubs, not just for the teams involved in these competitions.”

“An important opportunity for Ligue 1”

The prospect of seeing two French clubs reach the semi-finals of European competitions represents an important opportunity for Ligue 1, both from a sporting and economic standpoint. This type of rescheduling has been regularly implemented by the LFP in the past, to the benefit of many French clubs involved in European competitions.”

The debate is complicated, and arguments on both sides are valid. PSG (and Strasbourg, which has requested to postpone its match against Brest in the middle of the Europa Conference League quarter-finals, as mentioned in PSG’s response) could better approach their matches against Liverpool without having to deal with the trip to Lens in between. This is an important point for the Parisian club, but also for French football, considering the economic impact, image, and UEFA coefficient.

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However, it is also a real added difficulty for Lens, which is competing for the title and does not understand why it should penalize itself. There is a schedule set at the beginning of the season, and everyone must adapt as best as they can with their resources and ambitions.

All arguments can be heard, and the decision by the Ligue de Football Professionnel is far from simple. What is most regrettable are the “extreme” opinions, without nuance. A postponement would not mean that PSG controls the LFP and does not care about Ligue 1. And keeping the match on the scheduled date would not be an injustice or a total blunder for French football. Now, it’s time to allow for discussion and stop the public battle, which is beneficial to no one.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.