Supporters of French football are celebrating that there will be two clubs in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Olympique Lyonnais pulled off the upset against Manchester City; meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain broke the hearts of Atalanta BC supporters, scoring two goals in the match’s final stages.
Having two French clubs is a starting point for Ligue 1 to start the conversation of four teams qualifying for both the Champions and Europa League. It’s an idea that Lyon owner Jean-Michel Aulas took to Twitter with as he hopes this becomes a trend of seeing French teams head deep into and winning European competitions.
French Football Federation (FFF) president Noël Le Graët is also jumping into the celebration after speaking with Le Parisien. The 78-year-old spoke about being happy for the two clubs reaching this stage of the Champions League.
“I am really, very happy. The two teams played very high-level matches. Lyon have been exceptional against City, and the PSG players have shown that they have rock-solid physical condition and morale. I am proud of them,” Le Graët said.
Le Graët adds that the rest the club received due to the cancellation of the 2019-20 Ligue 1 season played a significant role, which is a questionable claim. Nonetheless, an all-French Champions League final is something that the FFF will welcome with open arms.
“The PSG and OL have taken advantage of the rest and have put in place an exemplary second cycle of physical preparation,” Le Graët said. “I still think we made the right decision. I made a very clear choice in favor of protection.”
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