Lens has strongly rejected Paris Saint-Germain’s request to delay their important Ligue 1 match, which is scheduled between their two Champions League quarter-final matches against Liverpool.
The French side is engaged in a title race with PSG, trailing by just one point in the league standings, and they argue that rescheduling the match could jeopardize competitive fairness in Ligue 1.
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PSG’s match against Lens is planned for Saturday, April 11—just three days after their quarter-final first leg in Paris, and three days before the second leg in Liverpool—putting them in a difficult position with three crucial matches in less than a week.
PSG manager Luis Enrique on the sidelines during a Champions League match (Getty)
In light of this, PSG has asked the Ligue de Football Professionel (LFP) to consider rescheduling the league fixture, but Lens has issued a strong statement against this move.
Highlighting that fixture details were established and confirmed on March 6, Lens expressed concern over the “troubling sentiment” that suggests Ligue 1 is being treated as a convenient adjustment to accommodate certain European demands.
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They argued that changing the date would not only favor PSG, the wealthiest club in the league, but would also negatively affect Lens by complicating their fixture schedule.
A club statement asserted: “Altering the date of this match now would mean Racing Club de Lens faces a 15-day competition hiatus before a series of matches every three days—an unsustainable rhythm that neither aligns with the original season schedule nor reflects the club’s capacity to handle such demands.”
“This would suggest that the tenth-ranked budget in the league should adjust to the needs of the most powerful clubs, driven by interests that seem to extend beyond our domestic competition, which has already been diluted in recent seasons.”
Lens emphasized that they did not intend to make this matter public but felt compelled to respond vocally after previous communications with PSG regarding their position against any date changes. They have expressed escalating concerns regarding potential postponements.
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A PSG spokesperson commented to BBC Sport that “this type of rescheduling has frequently been done by the LFP for the benefit of French clubs” and that it does not challenge the league’s integrity, contending that “the success of French clubs in European competitions ultimately benefits French football as a whole.”
The reigning European champions, PSG, had previously experienced a league match rescheduling due to their Champions League clash with Chelsea, which involved moving a fixture against Nantes that was originally slated for the same weekend to better prepare for their European tie, which they won 8-2 on aggregate.
PSG also had a league match postponed to help them prepare for their Champions League last-16 tie with Chelsea (PA Wire)
The LFP has also received a similar request from Strasbourg, who are seeking to postpone their match against Brest on Sunday, April 12, as it coincides with their Conference League quarter-final ties against Mainz.
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The LFP will ultimately decide, reflecting their historical inclination to assist French teams engaged in European competitions.