Lens/PSG – Lens step up their case and call for justice

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·25 mars 2026

Lens/PSG – Lens step up their case and call for justice

One of the big debates surrounding French football in recent days concerns Paris Saint-Germain’s request to postpone their trip to Lens, scheduled for Saturday, April 11 as part of Ligue 1’s Matchday 29, because it falls between the two Champions League quarterfinal legs. Lens are against it, since it requires a difficult adjustment on their part. The Ligue de Football Professionnel must decide after further discussions this Thursday. In the meantime, after an already very clear statement, the Lens club spoke in L’Equipe through general director Benjamin Parrot.

Parrot: “If the LFP doesn’t defend Ligue 1, who will?”

First of all, to be clear, we have nothing against PSG; they are fully within their rights to make this request. But factually, PSG made the choice of the Champions League, just like Canal+, its broadcaster. Now, if the LFP doesn’t defend Ligue 1, who will? If it doesn’t defend the continuity and respect of what Ligue 1 is, who will do it? For the LFP, as the competition’s guarantor, to be making changing decisions raises the question of sporting fairness. When we start the season, we have the tenth-biggest budget, we build a squad and a strategy to play in the league and the Coupe de France. That the reigning European champion could still be involved in European competition in the spring is good news, but it is not unforeseeable.(…)

Parrot: “It’s not fair.”

When a match is moved, normally both parties involved agree, like Nantes, which gave its consent (to move PSG-Nantes from March 15 to April 22). Here, we are in a case where one of the parties involved cannot have a say. That PSG makes the request is one thing, but that the LFP grants it at such an advanced stage of the season... Also, would this same debate even be happening if Paris were 15 points clear? They would perhaps simply rotate their squad. (…) The body that is supposed to preserve the fairness of the league says: “Careful, there is another competition here that is very important for everyone. So you, adapt.” We will deal with the run of matches, but we do not have the same squad depth. It’s not fair.”

Lens’s position is now quite clear, and they do have real arguments. Why should the Lens club have to adapt to the situation when the schedule is clearly set before the season and each club has to work in order to prepare according to its ambitions? PSG are aiming for titles and immediately made clear their desire to win the Champions League again, so they have to be equipped for that. The postponement may seem excessive.

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However, this must be put into the context of a very unusual season, one in which PSG were unable to have a proper preparation period. They are therefore trying to get a little “help” for a deep European run, which would also be positive for French football. Just like Strasbourg with its Conference League quarterfinal, except that the request to postpone the match against Brest is drawing far less attention.

One of the problems, which we see here again, is that this complex issue is being reduced to the overly simplistic idea that PSG do not care about Ligue 1 and that the LFP is under their thumb. Whereas the latter is thinking about French football, which would greatly benefit in terms of image, revenue, and the UEFA coefficient (which determines the European qualification spots for each country).

And if Paris had no interest in the league, they could play these matches with a completely reshuffled side. But instead, they prefer to play them seriously, without putting themselves in difficulty. Whether one agrees or not. Finally, as for the idea raised by Parrot that PSG would not ask for a postponement if they were 15 points clear, that actually supports the idea that the club is not setting Ligue 1 aside. And Lens probably would not have an issue either if the standings were different.

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