Paris (AFP)
Sacred Lyon, Marseille relegated? In accordance with announcements from the authorities, the French Women's Football Championship has lowered the curtain, but its players are still unaware of the contours of the final ranking, which remained unclear pending the officialization of the Federation expected on May 11.
First before the end clap, the Lyon ogre must logically swallow a fourteenth consecutive title in D1, but his thirst for trophies is not yet fully satisfied.
"A lot is written but we do not know. I was called three days ago to congratulate me but I do not know if it is approved or not," said coach Jean-Luc Vasseur on Monday daily Le Progrès, saying "waiting while hoping that something will be successful".
Thursday, OL president Jean-Michel Aulas also slipped on Twitter: "Bravo to PSG and Lorient champions of L1 and L2, and by the way why is women's OL not?".
The Federation, the organizer of women's competitions in France, has put an end to Division 1, suspended since mid-March due to the pandemic of new coronavirus. But without saying anything, or almost nothing, about the final ranking.
"A forthcoming meeting of the FFF Comex will clarify the rules for the sports management of the 2019-2020 season and will decide on the conditions for restarting the 2020-21 season," she said on April 28.
Solicited Monday by AFP, the Federation said that the subject was on the agenda of the next executive committee, scheduled for May 11.
Women's football, having gone a little unnoticed when major competitions were stopped in France, should logically offer OL that day a time-consuming coronation, its 14th consecutive championship since 2007.
Paris SG is unlikely to cry injustice. However, the partners of Kadidiatou Diani and Formiga still retained the hope of capturing the title, for the first time in the history of the club.
- Uphill? Saint-Etienne disputes -
Six days from the end, the Parisiennes accused only a small handicap of three points on the Lyonnaises, which they were about to receive. The suspension of the championship was activated on March 13, on the eve of the shock.
"There is a huge frustration because there is all the work done upstream and in the end we may be deprived of some rewards", but it was "almost unthinkable to resume", told the newspaper L'Equipe l Parisian coach Olivier Echouafni.
Bordeaux can also be frustrated by the outcome of the Championship. Viviane Asseyi's team was third four points behind Paris, which they were to host on the penultimate day.
As it stands, Lyon and Paris will therefore represent France next season in the Women's Champions League.
At the bottom of the table, Marseille (11th with 6 pts) and Metz (12th with 2 pts), largely unhooked in the classification, should find the second division.
Who will do the opposite path? First of its group in D2, with twelve points ahead of the nearest pursuer, Issy-les-Moulineaux (Hauts-de-Seine) has its accession ticket in its pocket.
The outcome is more uncertain in Group B where Saint-Etienne, undefeated this season, is three points behind and one game less than Le Havre, leader and promoted according to the rules set by the Federation.
To establish a classification, despite the truncated season, the FFF has indeed established a quotient of points won per match played. This ratio deprives the "Vertes" of accession "for 0.04 point", according to the Stéphanois club which brought the case before the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF). His case is being studied on Wednesday.
© 2020 AFP