The French Football League finds itself in high demand. Olympique Lyonnais is set to face Toulouse in their Ligue 1 season opener on August 22, yet club officials had requested a postponement of this fixture. The reasoning stems from potential overlaps with UEFA Champions League playoff matches.

The Gones must first navigate a third qualifying round, with a first leg scheduled between August 4 and 5, followed by a return match on August 11. Should Lyon advance further, midweek Champions League playoff fixtures would require two additional matchdays, sandwiched between Ligue 1 fixtures. This request mirrors earlier appeals from Paris Saint-Germain and RC Strasbourg during the spring campaign. However, the LFP has declined Olympique Lyonnais’ request.

Unwavering Ligue 1 opening day schedule

In a Monday evening virtual meeting, the LFP’s board of directors formally denied Olympique Lyonnais’ request, as confirmed by the sports daily. The governing body remains steadfast in preventing any disruption to Ligue 1’s opening matchday. It’s worth noting that next season’s French top flight will be exclusively broadcast on Ligue 1+.

Should Olympique Lyonnais qualify for the Champions League playoffs, they will need to integrate a trip to Toulouse for their Ligue 1 debut between two European fixtures.