Paris St-Germain’s French league match against Lens, which was set to take place between the two legs of their Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool, has been postponed.
The decision has been taken so the defending champions can “prepare in the best conditions” for the tie.
Ligue One leaders PSG were scheduled to visit second-placed Lens on Saturday, 11 April – three days after hosting Liverpool and three days before the second leg at Anfield.
Following PSG’s request to postpone the match, France’s Ligue de Football Professionel (LFP) has agreed to move it to 13 May.
RC Strasbourg’s Ligue 1 match at Stade Brestois on 12 April has also been moved to 13 May because of the French club’s Conference League quarter-final tie with Mainz.
The first leg is due to take place at Mainz on 9 April with the second leg at Strasbourg on 16 April.
“At the request of Paris St-Germain and RC Strasbourg in order to prepare in the best conditions for their respective quarter-finals, the board of directors of the LFP has unanimously decided, apart from the clubs concerned, to postpone the matches,” the LFP said.
The LFP added that the decision was in line with its “strategic direction” to “enable France to retain its fifth place in the Uefa coefficient”.
The performances of clubs in European competitions largely determines how many qualification places a league receives for Europe in future seasons, with France currently holding four Champions League spots.
When PSG made the request to postpone the match Lens, who are one point behind the French champions in Ligue One, said they were strongly against the idea and that the French league is in danger of being reduced to “an adjustment variable at the whim of the European imperatives of some”.
On Thursday, once the decision was anounced, Lens said: “While expressing its disagreement with the unanimous decision of the LFP board of directors to postpone the match against Paris St-Germain, RC Lens acknowledges it responsibly and reaffirms its determination to pursue its sporting objectives.”
The LFP has also asked Lens to move their home game against Nantes on 9 May forward by one day if PSG qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions League.
