Published 03:12 IST, May 1st 2020
Olympique Lyon likely to appeal Ligue 1's decision to end season after missing out on CL
Olympique Lyon has indicated that the club might appeal the decision to end Ligue 1 after missing out on qualifying for Champions League with ten matches left.
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French club Olympique Lyonnais has indicated that the club might appeal the decision to end Ligue 1 after missing out on qualifying for Champions League with ten matches remaining. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) was declared champion of the French soccer league on Thursday, April 30 after the season ended early because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Lyon likely to appeal decision
Olympique Lyonnais has taken note of the decision proposed by @LFPfr.
— OL English 🇬🇧 (@OL_English) April 30, 2020
Press release ⤵️https://t.co/rd6s0Emh7N
In a statement, the club said, "In view of today's decision by the French Ligue 1 Championship, Olympique Lyonnais reserves the right to appeal against that decision and claim damages, in particular in respect of loss of opportunity and in the light of the case-law of other professional sports which is currently underway, since the damage to the club amounts to several tens of millions of euros.
The club stated that it had presented options to the authorities to find an "an alternative solution that would allow the championship to end and thus preserve the fairness inherent in any sporting competition and be in line with UEFA's proposals based on sporting merit according to objective, transparent and non-discriminatory principles."
Lyon went on to state that the solution provided was on the Principal of play-offs and play-downs, a championship title acquired by PSG, and a calendar that would be limited to three weeks consistent with health constraints.
The announcement from the league followed the French government’s decision on Tuesday to call off the soccer and rugby seasons in the country and end plans to resume. The top two divisions in French soccer had 10 rounds of matches left to play. PSG led second-place Marseille by 12 points and played one game less. Marseille qualified directly for the Champions League while third-place Rennes enters the qualifying rounds.
It remains unclear whether the Champions League will be completed and where games involving French teams would be played if it does resume.
03:12 IST, May 1st 2020