Angers v Lille to be played behind closed doors, only pro club hit by floods this weekend | OneFootball

Angers v Lille will be played behind closed doors on Sunday because of regional flooding, after Storm Pedro hit western France. No other Ligue 1 fixtures are expected to be affected this weekend, while amateur matches have been widely postponed.

Following days of intense rain and a renewed red flood alert on Friday in Maine-et-Loire, Loire-Atlantique and Charente-Maritime, the prefecture opted to keep the game on for 17:15 Sunday. The league said in a statement on Friday that both clubs were keen for it to proceed.

Raymond-Kopa Stadium is not in the area threatened by the Maine’s rise, so the pitch remains playable. Access is complicated by road closures around the venue, and authorities have barred spectators to prioritise police support for affected communities.

Angers are likely to miss out on matchday revenue. Their training grounds have been hit, so the squad has moved onto a synthetic surface in a district spared by the floods, where they will stay until further notice.

In Nantes, the visit of Le Havre is due to go ahead on Saturday at 17:15. A postponement was not under consideration and supporters were urged to use public transport, with the ring road still partly closed on Friday.

In Toulouse, where the Stadium sits on the Île du Ramier beside the Garonne, no flood risk will prevent the match against Paris FC on Saturday at 19:00. City services remain vigilant and in contact with the Haute-Garonne prefecture, and the alert has been lifted.

Source: L'Équipe