In the absence of suspense on the lawns, the future of French football is now on the legal field. How many clubs will compete in the next Ligue 1 championship, and from what date? The question remains open after the decision of the Council of State, Tuesday, June 9. The country's highest administrative court, whose decisions cannot be contested, rejected Lyon's request to resume the 2019-2020 championship, but urgently ordered to suspend the demotion of Amiens and Toulouse.
These two clubs accuse the Professional Football League (LFP) of having relegated them to Ligue 2 on April 30, because of the sanitary context, without having had the opportunity to play their last ten games. By June 30, the judge in summary proceedings now orders the LFP to "Reconsider the question of the format of Ligue 1 for the 2020-2021 season", whose start is still hoped for in August.
As of Tuesday, the Amiens Sporting Club (ASC) and the Toulouse Football Club (TFC) each published a press release to congratulate themselves on their retention in Ligue 1. To the point of inadvertently revealing, on the Picard side, the future logo of the championship… However, the order of the summary judge does not yet save the two clubs, any more than it condemns them.
Expansion to 22 clubs
Toulouse and Amiens remain under threat of relegation if the League persists in wanting a championship with 20 clubs, and not an enlarged formula with 22. "If we play at 20, there are no other possible outlets than the descent for Amiens and Toulouse", estimates Loïc Poupot, lawyer of the LFP. The latter also builds on the already recorded rise of two clubs from the second division, Lorient and Lens.
Conversely, if the League accepts an enlargement to 22 clubs, it will allow the Amiens and Toulousains to maintain themselves. "We must put an end to this judicial battle which has only lasted too long, hopes the president of the Amiens club, Bernard Joannin, who pleads for this second option. Let’s put humanity and solidarity in the world of football. " TFC president Olivier Sadran did not respond to our requests.
In a minimalist press release, the LFP "Take note" of the injunction to reconsider the situation. "We are asked to reconsider this decision, we will reconsider it, but that does not necessarily mean that we will play at 22", insists Didier Quillot, the executive director general of the League, at Agence France-Presse.
You have 48.62% of this article to read. The suite is reserved for subscribers.
