Liverpool will face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals next month, but Arne Slott will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing domestic season
PSG criticized for pre- and post-match plans for Liverpool Champions League (Image: MIGUEL MEDINA, AFP via Getty Images)
Lens have issued a firm statement expressing their determination not to postpone the match against Paris Saint-Germain. The Ligue 1 match is currently scheduled for April 11, between the Champions League quarter-final matches between PSG and Liverpool.
The Reds secured a place in the last eight with a 4-1 aggregate win over Galatasaray in the previous match, and will now face PSG, the club they eliminated from the Champions League in the last 16 stage last season.
The first leg between Liverpool and PSG will be played at the Parc des Princes on April 8th, with the return leg less than a week later on April 14th at Anfield, with the winner progressing to the semi-finals.
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According to recent reports, PSG have formally requested French football governing body Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) to postpone the game against Reims and reschedule it to later in the season. PSG made a similar claim earlier in the season against Nantes in Ligue 1, but it was originally scheduled to take place between their Champions League last-16 match against Chelsea.
Liverpool are scheduled to play Fulham in the Premier League on April 11, while PSG are scheduled to play Reims in Ligue 1 on the same day.
Lens have now issued a statement addressing the speculation and clarifying their reasons for opposing the rescheduling of the game against PSG. It read: “On 6 March, the fixture schedule for Racing Club de Reims vs. Paris Saint-Germain has been finalized and the framework that everyone is asked to follow has been officially decided.
“In a spirit of responsibility and restraint, Racing Club de Reims has communicated to Paris Saint-Germain from the time of the first request its intention not to allow a change to this date. True to certain ideas of sporting stability, the club has also chosen to refrain from any public communication regarding this matter.”
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“However, a recent flurry of statements, interventions and various proposals has brought us out of this state of suspension. It certainly seems to us that an alarming feeling is taking hold, a feeling that the French championship is gradually being relegated to the status of a moderating variable at the whims of some European imperatives.”
“It is a unique concept of sporting fairness, the equivalent of which is difficult to find in other major continental competitions. Changing the date of this match today means that Racing Club de Reims will be deprived of the opportunity to compete for 15 days and then continue to play every three days. This does not fit into the rhythm set at the start of the Championship, nor the resources of the clubs that can absorb new constraints of this kind without consequences.”
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“Thus, it will be understood that the tenth budget of the Championship should be adapted to the demands of the most powerful powers, clearly in the name of interests that extend beyond the domestic framework, which has already been alleviated in recent seasons (L1 reduced to 18 clubs, Coupe de la Ligue abolished).
“Beyond this particular case, the issue being raised is more fundamental. It is a question of respect by the sport itself, because the championship itself can sometimes be forgiven for questioning itself, when it seems to be relegated to the background of other ambitions, no matter how legitimate.
“Racing Club de Reims remains committed to fairness, clarity of rules and respect for all stakeholders. We adhere to simple principles for a loyal and respected French football.”
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