Paris Saint-Germain’s request to postpone a Ligue 1 fixture sandwiched between their Champions League double header with Chelsea, has been granted.
PSG and Chelsea face a repeat of last summer’s Club World Cup final in next month’s eagerly-awaited Champions League round of 16.
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The reigning holders, who sneaked through with a 5-4 aggregate win over Monaco in midweek, are already plotting favourable conditions ahead of the double header against Chelsea.
Gaining an advantage
On Friday, the French giants asked Ligue 1’s governing body – the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) – to postpone their match against relegation-threatened Nantes set for March 14 to allow for extra days of rest between the two fixtures.
PSG will host Liam Rosenior’s men on Wednesday, March 11 with the return leg taking place at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, March 17.
Chelsea, meanwhile, host Newcastle in a crucial clash in the battle for the top four on Saturday, March 14 at 5.30pm.
On Friday, the LFP released their match schedule for week 26 in France’s top-flight but confirmed just eight of the nine matches that weekend.
The LFP subsequently revealed that it had been approached by PSG for the game to be postponed until week commencing April 20, ‘in order to prepare in the best possible conditions for their two-legged tie with Chelsea in the Champions League’.
The governing body also confirmed that Nantes had given their agreement to the postponement.
A LFP statement on Saturday confirmed that PSG’s request had been granted.
It read: “At the request of Paris Saint-Germain in order to prepare in the best possible conditions for its two-legged tie with Chelsea in the Champions League Round of 16, the LFP Board of Directors, with the agreement of FC Nantes, has decided that the PSG – FC Nantes match will be played the week of April 20.
“The exact date and time of this match will be determined later.”
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The decision has already caused uproar from fans on both sides of the English Channel.
France’s other European representatives Lyon, Strasbourg and Lille have not requested similar changes, while the Premier League have not historically moved fixtures to accommodate European competition.
PSG are hoping the move will ease fatigue and injury issues that have swept through their squad this season.
With 103 matches played in the past 18 months and just two weeks rest during the summer, Les Parisiens are yet to recapture the level that took them to Champions League glory last term.
Ligue 1’s provisions
It is not the first time that Ligue 1 chiefs have shifted domestic fixtures to support its teams on the European stage.
With Ligue 1’s financial situation in disarray owing in-part to the league’s nominal television broadcast deal, protecting its UEFA coefficient while boosting its club’s chances in Europe has become a priority.
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PSG were the beneficiaries of a fixture change in last season’s run to Champions League glory.
In between, their quarter-final double header against Aston Villa, their match against Nantes was postponed until the following week despite Les Canari’s opposing the change.
In the 2023/24 season, their Ligue 1 fixture at Nice scheduled between two Champions League semi-final ties with Borussia Dortmund was also moved to a later date.
Ironically, PSG are yet to see any benefit of postponing fixtures between European ties.
Luis Enrique’s men were beaten 3-2 at Villa Park despite advancing on aggregate, while slipping to a 1-0 defeat in the second leg against Dortmund.
The PSG boss says he is looking forward to facing Chelsea after avoiding another meeting with former club Barcelona.
“The Champions League draw is difficult, as usual. We don’t expect anything different,” he said. “We are pleased. It will be interesting to play against one of the best English teams, who we know well.
“There is no feeling of revenge for us. This is a different competition. This is our pathway and we are used to it.
“We are the champions at the moment in this competition, so the problem is for all the other teams. They have to play against us, that is what I think.”