Drama Around the Marseille-PSG Match Rescheduling
The Marseille versus Paris Saint-Germain clash, often called “Le Classique,” has once again proven it’s not just a football game but also a stage for drama and politics. This time, the tension wasn’t about goals or red cards but about when the match would actually be played.
Originally, the big showdown was scheduled for Sunday night, but severe weather in Marseille forced local authorities to postpone it. Heavy rain and storms made it impossible to guarantee safety for players and fans. That part seemed straightforward. But what came after turned into a real power struggle between the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), Paris Saint-Germain, and Olympique de Marseille.
The LFP initially wanted to move the game to Tuesday. The reason was pretty clear: they wanted to avoid clashing with the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on Monday night. That event is huge for French football, especially since PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé and other Parisian stars were expected to be among the favorites. From PSG’s point of view, it made perfect sense—they didn’t want the most anticipated domestic match of the year competing with a ceremony that could shine an even brighter spotlight on their own players.
Also Read:But Marseille saw things differently. According to the league’s own rules—specifically article 548—if a match can’t be played because of weather, it must be rescheduled the very next day, unless extreme circumstances prevent it. That gave OM the legal advantage. The club made it clear that they intended to enforce the rules strictly, even going so far as to warn the LFP that legal action would be taken if the match was moved beyond Monday.
Faced with that pressure, the LFP backed down. The game was officially locked in for Monday night at 8:00 p.m., right in the middle of the Ballon d’Or gala. The league insisted it tried to avoid this awkward overlap, but with Marseille holding the rulebook in their favor, there wasn’t much choice.
To add more spice, this isn’t the first scheduling fight involving Marseille. Not long ago, they tried to push back another fixture, Lens versus OM, after a demanding Champions League trip. That request was denied, leading to friction with other clubs. It’s fair to say Marseille’s relationship with the league, and particularly with president Vincent Labrune, has become more and more combative. Owner Frank McCourt and president Pablo Longoria are openly calling for Labrune’s departure, signaling deeper political divides within French football.
Meanwhile, on the ground in Marseille, the Orange Vélodrome has been prepared with remarkable speed. Despite Sunday’s storms, the pitch looked flawless by Monday evening, thanks to relentless work by the grounds team. So, while the boardrooms and pressrooms are buzzing with controversy, fans can at least expect a pristine stage for the players.
In the end, the whole affair underlines how much more than football is at play in a match like Marseille versus PSG. It’s rivalry, politics, power plays—and, of course, a little bit of drama that French football seems to specialize in.
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