A few days ago, Olympique Lyonnais president Jean-Michel Aulas took to social media to demand that Ligue 1’s decision to cancel the season be reversed and play resume in July.
One football pundit in Aulas’ corner is Canal Plus journalist Pierre Ménès, who on the set of Canal Football Club (via ParisFans) decided to express his opinion on the cancellation of Ligue 1 as other leagues across Europe are beginning to resume play.
However, despite agreeing with the Lyon president, Ménès states that time isn’t on their side, and it’s too late to have the decision overturned and Ligue 1 return.
“As we speak, I agree with Jean-Michel Aulas: we should have started again. But two things. Now it’s too late. If you decide to repatriate PSG players, you need at least three to four weeks of preparation,” Ménès. “So it takes us to the end of June. That would make ten matches which are linked on the 38 of the following season, knowing that the calendar for the next season is super tight with the Euro at the end.”
What Ménès said makes sense, despite him wanting to see the French league return, the calendar won’t allow it. PSG players who are returning to Paris within the coming weeks from outside of Europe will go under a 14-day quarantine most likely.
Furthermore, with Les Parisiens resuming practice later this month (reportedly June 22), there’s the need for at least three to four weeks to get into match fitness, which means that Ligue 1 games won’t resume until mid-July.
With the 2020-21 season starting in late August, there’d be no rest period. Also, considering that the UEFA European Championship will take place next summer along with the Copa America, plenty of players on the PSG squad will have little rest next summer.
Want more PSG? Visit the PSG Talk Podcast Network page and subscribe to PSG Talking, The 1970, and 24th & Parc.
