The Ligue 1 organizers have approved PSG's request to postpone their match against Lens to May in order to allow the French team to best prepare for the Champions League quarter-finals.
PSG are about to face Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-finals.
The Ligue 1 organizers have confirmed that the match between PSG and Lens will not take place on April 11th as originally planned. Instead, the clash has been postponed to May 13th, at the request of the Parisian club.
The main reason stems from PSG's need to conserve energy for both legs of the Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool. According to the original schedule, they would host the English side, then have only three days of rest before playing away at Lens, and then travel to Anfield for the second leg. This packed schedule led PSG to request a postponement to allow for better preparation.
The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) stated that this decision was made to maximize opportunities for French clubs to compete in European competitions. The French football governing body emphasized that this step aligns with the goal of maintaining Ligue 1's fifth position in the UEFA coefficient ranking.
Not only PSG, but Strasbourg also received approval to reschedule their match. Their game against Brest on April 12th has been moved to May 13th, as Strasbourg prepares for their Europa Conference League quarter-final against Mainz.
However, the LFP's decision drew a backlash from Lens. The team currently second in Ligue 1 argued that the domestic league should not be adjusted to meet the needs of clubs participating in European competitions. Lens are currently only one point behind PSG and see the direct clash as a crucial opportunity in the title race.
In addition, the LFP also requested that Lens be prepared to adjust the schedule for their match against Nantes in early May, should PSG progress further in the Champions League.