Trophée des Champions set to be cancelled over host issues | OneFootball

L’Équipe report this morning that this summer’s Trophée des Champions – the Ligue 1 season opener, equivalent to the Community Shield – is set to be cancelled over issues with the host venue in Thailand.

The match, which is held a week before the start of the domestic campaign, was set to feature soon-to-be Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain and Coupe de France winners Toulouse.

Bangkok had been designated as the host city for this year’s edition, with the last two having been in Israel. The aim was to create a significant event around French football in Southeast Asia, so as to further its reach.

However, as first indicated by LesViolets and now confirmed by L’Équipe, the organising company in Thailand, Fresh Air Festival, is set to pull out at short notice over unclear reasons. As a result, the match is now likely to take place during next season’s winter break, if possible abroad, as has been the case since 2009.

This year would have been the fourth time the match was held in Asia, with Beijing hosting in 2014 and Shenzhen welcoming the game in 2018 and 2019. The league authorities were due to receive a record €4m from the Thailand-based organisers, with compensation now set to be negotiated.

GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin