Paris (AFP)

"We will review" the format of Ligue 1, Didier Quillot, executive director general of the League (LFP), told AFP on Tuesday, after the Council of State suspended the relegation of Amiens and Toulouse, opening perhaps the way to a 22-team championship.

Q: The Council of State validated the decision of the LFP's Board of Directors to stop the season and define the final ranking according to a performance index, two points that the president of Lyon Jean-Michel Aulas disputed. What's your reaction ?

A: "We are very happy with these decisions which will allow us to finally close the sequence of the 2019-2020 season and to turn resolutely towards the preparation of the 2020-2021 season. It is the victory of the general interest, that of the 40 clubs (L1 and L2, editor's note). This is not at all a personal victory (over Mr. Aulas). I regret that the League was unfairly criticized during this streak given the work accomplished by our teams who had prepared a scenario and a recovery schedule, a health and medical protocol, who obtained a PGE (Loan guaranteed by the State, Editor's note) of 225 M EUR which made it possible to preserve the clubs' cash and profit and loss account to June 30. That said, I resolutely look to the future and the immediate future is the Champions League. I wish good luck, sincerely, to Olympique Lyonnais in their eighth finals return against Juventus. hope he will qualify so that we have two clubs, PSG and OL, in quarters. "

Q: What does the League intend to do in relation to the decision to suspend the relegation of Amiens and Toulouse?

A: "The League will do, in conjunction with the Federation (FFF), what the Council of State asks it to do, that is to say re-examine the format of the L1 for the 2020-2021 season. The FFF will also convene its Federal Assembly, all before June 30. The judge is based on a question of form, the LFP-FFF agreement which has not yet been adopted. instruction from the judge and reconsider the matter. We will do that in the next few days. "

Q: Do you think it is possible to move from Ligue 1 to 22 clubs?

A: "The Board of Directors has considered that the L1 is played at a maximum of 20 clubs. This is also the case for the agreement between the LFP and the FFF, and this for 40 years. But we will re-examine the Board again The rise of Lens and Lorient is not called into question by this order. We had decided to play at 20. We are asked to reconsider this decision, we will reconsider it, but that does not necessarily mean we are going to play at 22. (On the publication of the calendar for next season) We will try to do everything in good order. First, the format, the participants in the competitions then the final calendar of the 2020-21 season . Our objective has not changed, it remains to start the 2020-2021 season on the weekend of August 22-23. "

Interview by Alexis HONTANG

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