French Ligue 1 side Lyon is not ready to give up on its quest to ensure that the decision French football league (LFP) took that ended the 2019-2020 season in France is reversed. On Saturday Futballnews reported that Paris Administrative Court rejected the appeal the club made, saying the decision could only be challenged before the State Council.
Before LFP decided to end the season prematurely, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that there would not be room for any sporting event in France until after September due to the coronavirus pandemic. So, since LFP could not hold on to the season which should have ended before June 30th, the league body had to cancel it.
Recall that the point-per-game format LFP used to end the season and awarded the league title to Paris Saint Germain cost Lyon which finished 7th, a chance to qualify for a UEFA competition next season.
Hence, Lyon had to turn its attention to the president of France to reverse his decision which has paralysed sport in the country until after September, describing the decision as too hasty. This came a day after the club failed to get the reversal through the court.
To push its agitation farther, the club drew the attention of the French government to the determination of the country’s competitors like Germany and Spain, to restart the season amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The club statement said: “Olympique Lyonnais hopes that the example of Spain, following that of Germany, will help authorities reconsider the decision taken too hastily in France.
“We can reasonably imagine that the position of coaches and players in the French league is today much more in favour of a resumption of play than it had been during the UNFP poll conducted April 23 or when Didier Deschamps (the French national team head coach) confided on April 27 to President Emmanuel Macron his reluctance and his fear for the players’ health.
“OL calls on President Emmanuel Macron to support the spirit of a France that should react to its European competitors.
“The decision, taken in a hurry, on April 30 can now be compensated for in the eyes of the French people if we know how to recognise that nothing is ever final, and we adopt the most appropriate solution in the interest of French professional football and therefore the French people.
“Olympique Lyonnais hopes that the example of Spain, following that of Germany, will help authorities reconsider the decision taken too hastily in France.
“Beyond the economic disaster that will hit the French league hard, the most successful French clubs are still qualified in the Champions League, and will find themselves at a disadvantage during their European matches,” the statement continued.
“PSG and Olympique Lyonnais, both still in the competition with both of their teams, female and male, will be penalized against opponents who will have benefited from the resumption of their league seasons.”
Lyon is not in this battle alone. Relegation bound Amiens and Toulouse are also fighting to see whether LFP can make Ligue 1 a 22-club league so that they can be accommodated next season. Just like Lyon, the court rejected their appeal, hence, they have to play in the lower division.
