Olympique Lyonnais prepares to commence its Ligue 1 campaign against Toulouse on August 22nd. The club had formally approached the Ligue de football professionnel (LFP) with a request to reschedule this fixture, which is slated to occur just days following a crucial Champions League playoff. However, the LFP has rejected this proposed alteration.

The friction between the LFP and Olympique Lyonnais has emerged even before the official start of the season. Set to face Toulouse FC on August 22nd for the opening matchday of Ligue 1, the Lyon leadership submitted an appeal to the professional football league, seeking a postponement for this encounter. The underlying reason for their request centers on the possibility that this fixture could fall between the two legs of a potential Champions League playoff, should OL successfully advance from the preceding round.

This presented a legitimate concern for the Lyon board, prompting them to formally notify the LFP of their petition via correspondence.

To bolster their case, OL invoked what they termed the “PSG precedent,” arguing for the paramount interests of French football. Paris Saint-Germain had previously been granted several fixture postponements last season, enabling them to meticulously prepare for their significant European commitments.

Potential champions league playoff to sandwich league fixtures for OL

Consequently, and in the spirit of fairness, the seven-time French champions confidently anticipated a favorable response from the league.

Nevertheless, the Board of Directors of the Ligue de football professionnel has, contrary to expectations, dismissed this possibility. The governing body firmly expressed its reluctance to disrupt the established televised Ligue 1 schedule, particularly as early as the inaugural matchday.

This decision marks an initial calendar setback for Paulo Fonseca‘s squad. The Gones will now be required to exert considerable effort at the close of August if they hope to secure qualification for the prestigious Champions League.