Well-ordered equity begins with yourself. Due to the coronavirus epidemic, the Professional Football League (LFP) was forced to stop the championship ten days before the end. It was therefore the classification of the teams at that time that was taken into account to determine who would play where next season. Before last, Amiens SC and Toulouse find themselves relegated to L2. A decision deemed "unfair" against which the club has taken legal action.
“Football is not just about money. We do not want compensation, we want the League to reverse its decision, "hammered on Tuesday morning, the president of Amiens SC, Bernard Joannin, stating all the same that the prejudice of a relegation was estimated" between 40 and 50 million euros ”. The lawyer of the club, Me Christophe Bertrand, thus announced to have deposited on Monday a procedure in summary procedure suspension with the administrative court of Paris. "Our requests are 45 pages long but we can summarize by asking the following question: can we declare that there are losers in a competition that has not ended," he wonders.
"In law, when there is no rule, we base ourselves on the principle of equity"
The mayor of Amiens, Brigitte Fouré (UDI) recognizes that there is no written rule since the situation is exceptional. “In law, when there is no rule, we base ourselves on the principle of equity. And there, the decision of the league is not fair, “said the elected.
The LFP's decision was taken "in a rush and without any real consultation," says Bernard Joannin. Even 19th in the ranking, there were ten games to go and therefore 30 points to take potentially. “The group had all the resources to seek maintenance. The differences between the teams were not considerable, the boys were ready to go into combat, "insists Luka Elsner, the club's coach.
The rest, therefore, is in the hands of justice. According to the lawyer, a "fairly rapid" response is expected on the suspension proceedings. On the other hand, if the case were to be remitted on the merits, things could be more complicated for the resumption, even if the club obtains a favorable decision in summary procedure. "The time of justice is not that of football," laments the lawyer.
Is there a fair solution for everyone?
The alternatives to this "sanction", the president of Amiens SC does not really offer, while asserting that "there are many". The one that comes up most often is the hypothesis of a season with 22 teams in L1: the 20 boarders this year and the two promoted. "It involves four downhills at the end of next season and I agree with that. The key is to know the rules of a competition before launching, ”says Bernard Joannin. But this solution would not be seen as fair for everyone, especially for those who were excluded from Europe on the 28th day for a few points (hello Jean-Michel Aulas). There is also the question of the distribution of TV rights with two mouths to feed in addition.
Play-offs, cancellation of the 2019-2020 season, ending the season this summer, L1 to 22 championship ... "I am for dialogue and rallying. The solution must be found by the world of football ”, eludes the president of Amiens SC. It remains to be seen whether there is a formula whose sporting and financial aspect could satisfy all of the interested parties.
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