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 final summer time’s Membership World Cup last in subsequent month’s eagerly-awaited Champions League spherical of 16.
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The reigning holders, who sneaked by with a 5-4 mixture win over Monaco in midweek, are already plotting beneficial circumstances forward of the double header towards Chelsea.
Gaining a bonus
On Friday, the French giants requested Ligue 1’s governing physique – the Ligue de Soccer Professionnel (LFP) – to postpone their match towards relegation-threatened Nantes set for March 14 to permit for additional days of relaxation between the 2 fixtures.
PSG will host Liam Rosenior’s males on Wednesday, March 11 with the return leg going down at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, March 17.
Chelsea, in the meantime, host Newcastle in a vital conflict within the battle for the highest 4 on Saturday, March 14 at 5.30pm.
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On Friday, the LFP launched their match schedule for week 26 in France’s top-flight however confirmed simply eight of the 9 matches that weekend.
The LFP subsequently revealed that it had been approached by PSG for the sport to be postponed till week commencing April 20, ‘so as to put together in the very best circumstances for his or her two-legged tie with Chelsea within the Champions League’.
The governing physique additionally confirmed that Nantes had given their settlement to the postponement.
A LFP assertion on Saturday confirmed that PSG’s request had been granted.
It learn: “On the request of Paris Saint-Germain so as to put together in the very best circumstances for its two-legged tie with Chelsea within the Champions League Spherical of 16, the LFP Board of Administrators, with the settlement of FC Nantes, has determined that the PSG – FC Nantes match will likely be performed the week of April 20.
“The precise date and time of this match will likely be decided later.”
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The choice has already triggered uproar from followers on either side of the English Channel.
France’s different European representatives Lyon, Strasbourg and Lille haven’t requested related modifications, whereas the Premier League haven’t traditionally moved fixtures to accommodate European competitors.
PSG are hoping the transfer will ease fatigue and damage points which have swept by their squad this season.
With 103 matches performed up to now 18 months and simply two weeks relaxation through the summer time, Les Parisiens are but to recapture the extent that took them to Champions League glory final time period.
Ligue 1’s provisions
It’s not the primary time that Ligue 1 chiefs have shifted home fixtures to help its groups on the European stage.
With Ligue 1’s monetary state of affairs in disarray owing in-part to the league’s nominal tv broadcast deal, defending its UEFA coefficient whereas boosting its membership’s probabilities in Europe has turn out to be a precedence.
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PSG had been the beneficiaries of a fixture change in final season’s run to Champions League glory.
In between, their quarter-final double header towards Aston Villa, their match towards Nantes was postponed till the next week regardless of Les Canari’s opposing the change.
Within the 2023/24 season, their Ligue 1 fixture at Good scheduled between two Champions League semi-final ties with Borussia Dortmund was additionally moved to a later date.
Paradoxically, PSG are but to see any advantage of suspending fixtures between European ties.
Luis Enrique’s males had been crushed 3-2 at Villa Park regardless of advancing on mixture, whereas slipping to a 1-0 defeat within the second leg towards Dortmund.
The PSG boss says he’s wanting ahead to going through Chelsea after avoiding one other assembly with former membership Barcelona.
“The Champions League draw is tough, as traditional. We don’t count on something completely different,” he stated. “We’re happy. It is going to be fascinating to play towards among the finest English groups, who we all know effectively.
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“There isn’t a feeling of revenge for us. This can be a completely different competitors. That is our pathway and we’re used to it.
“We’re the champions in the meanwhile on this competitors, so the issue is for all the opposite groups. They need to play towards us, that’s what I believe.”
