Jérôme Rothen slams the LFP over Lens v PSG postponement… and backs it

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·27 de março de 2026

Jérôme Rothen slams the LFP over Lens v PSG postponement… and backs it

Jérôme Rothen, former France national team midfielder and now a consultant for RMC Sport, was speaking on the sports outlet this Thursday and took part in the discussion about the postponement of Lens/PSG approved by the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) earlier in the day. While he understands Paris Saint-Germain’s request, he still delivers a strong swipe. But at the same time, perhaps without meaning to, he also highlights that the decision makes sense.

Rothen: “They are incapable of making good decisions that would improve the attractiveness of our league.”

“We believed in it without really believing, we did what we could, this petition was not against PSG but against the League, for the good of French football. I’m not surprised with those people who voted... I was really looking forward to seeing this clash between Lens and PSG. In terms of attractiveness, it was great to experience that... I understand PSG, it was legitimate to ask for the postponement.

But what is the purpose of the LFP? To protect the French championship above all else, before talking to us about a European shop window, the UEFA coefficient... They are incapable of making good decisions that would improve the attractiveness of our league. They’re all useless, the league is worth 0, there’s no more attractiveness, no more suspense... so you approve it and please the European champion?

Rothen: “If PSG were not bringing back so many UEFA points, I can assure you, Mr. Labrune, we would be 8th”

But thank goodness PSG are there, because they are keeping them alive. If PSG were not bringing back so many UEFA points, I can assure you, Mr. Labrune, we would be 8th.”

As we have already pointed out several times, it is a shame to go to extremes in a matter that deserves far more nuance. It is beneficial for PSG to be able to focus fully on the Champions League quarter-finals against Liverpool. They could also have strengthened more in the transfer window, but that brings other squad-management issues during the year. It may also be preferable for French football that Paris do not send a heavily rotated side to Lens, with the feeling of a match to “get out of the way.” It would almost be awkward, moreover, if the Parisians were to win like that, and it was not impossible.

Vídeos OneFootball

In any case, help for PSG in Europe was possible, and it is not illogical that the LFP made this choice since the UEFA coefficient is very important in order to secure qualification places in Europe. A key point for the life of the league. Rothen himself points it out: Paris are important when it comes to the points to be accumulated. Isn’t it logical to help them? Not to mention that Strasbourg’s match against Brest has also been postponed, except that it has prompted no comment at all.

How can you attack the LFP for its lack of support for French football while completely belittling the latter? No suspense, no attractiveness—the people involved in French football will appreciate Rothen’s publicity. And yet, the race for Europe is exciting, and so is the title race. Interesting players were recruited for this Ligue 1 season, and others are still emerging. Maybe we should stop tearing everything down, as if other countries were perfect.

There was the crisis linked to COVID and no doubt some bad choices regarding TV rights, but that does not mean everything should be thrown away. Ligue 1 also deserves to be better highlighted by its major media outlets, which could do better than excessive criticism over a postponement that is meant to help French football gain more international exposure.

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