Olympique Lyonnais seeks Ligue 1 opener delay, LFP says no
Lyon’s management appealed to the LFP for their away match in Toulouse, scheduled for Saturday, August 22nd, to be postponed. The aim was to ensure the team was in optimal condition for a potential Champions League playoff. Their efforts proved unsuccessful.
Olympique Lyonnais commenced training on June 29th, with preparations geared towards the Champions League’s third preliminary round, slated for August 4th or 5th (first leg) and August 11th (second leg). Should they advance, Paulo Fonseca’s squad would then participate in the playoffs, scheduled for the subsequent two weeks.
With this in mind, and explicitly stating that the request would only become active upon qualification for the playoff rounds, Lyon’s leadership formally petitioned the LFP via written correspondence. They sought to reschedule their inaugural Ligue 1 fixture, an away game against Toulouse on Saturday, August 22nd, which would fall directly between the two legs of a potential Champions League playoff. Echoing similar appeals made by Paris Saint-Germain on several occasions last season, OL emphasized the broader interests of French football to bolster their case.
The league’s governing body delivered its decision that evening, which was a rejection. The Administrative Council of the Ligue de Football Professionnel, convening remotely via video conference earlier on Monday, voted to deny Olympique Lyonnais’ request. A key rationale cited for the refusal was the impracticality of having a fragmented opening weekend for the Championship, especially given that Ligue 1+ is now set to broadcast every single match.
More Stories
Floriana vs Shamrock Rovers: champions league lineup for july 7, 2026
Olympique lyonnais denied request to postpone opening match against toulouse
First match of the french league 1 season revealed