Lens have hit back at Paris Saint-Germain’s request to postpone their Ligue 1 top of the table clash, scheduled for 11th April, after PSG asked for extra preparation time ahead of their Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool.
PSG, the reigning European champions, face Liverpool at home just three days before the Lens fixture, before then travelling to Anfield for the second leg on 14th April. The two sides sit just one point apart at the top of Ligue 1, with PSG also having a game in hand.
France’s professional football league, the LFP, confirmed that PSG had formally requested the postponement, but Lens made their opposition clear from the outset. In a statement, the club said they felt a worrying trend was developing in which the domestic league was being treated as an afterthought to suit the European ambitions of certain clubs. They also raised broader questions about the respect owed to domestic competition, arguing that the league should not be pushed aside in favour of other priorities.
PSG were granted a similar request earlier this season when their Ligue 1 match against Nantes was postponed during their Champions League tie against Chelsea. A source close to PSG said any changes to the fixture list are a matter for the French football authorities and that both PSG and Strasbourg, who have made a similar request ahead of their Europa Conference League quarter-final against Mainz, simply want the best possible preparation for key matches.
