Didier Quillot, executive director of the LFP, upon his arrival at the Council of State on June 9, 2020. - FRANCK FIFE / AFP

The Professional Football League (LFP) remains firm on its positions. Meeting this Tuesday morning, "the General Assembly of the LFP adopted by a majority of 74.49% of the votes cast the resolution proposed by the Board of Directors to maintain the format of Ligue 1 at 20 clubs," said the League in a press release. 

This vote came "after an in-depth examination of the sports challenges of a Ligue 1 to 20, 21 or 22 clubs on the 2020/2021 competition calendar and the consequences on the players' health", specifies the LFP. The financial impacts, the distribution of TV rights and the contractual repercussions with the championship broadcasters were also discussed during the debates. 

The battle is not over for Amiens

This decision of the GA to endorse the vote of the CA which was held last Friday is not a surprise, unfortunately for Amiens and Toulouse. The two clubs have been fighting for weeks now for a Ligue 1 extended to 22, which would allow them to remain at the end of this season truncated by the coronavirus pandemic. They had obtained the support of the Council of State for this, which on June 9 asked the League to "re-examine the question of the format of Ligue 1 for the 2020-2021 season, (...) draw the consequences as to the principle of relegation ”. 

Picard President Bernard Joannin notably sent a letter to GA members asking them to accept an enlargement of the elite. “Is the principle of two-thirds descents of a competition sportingly fair? Is this decision of the governing bodies in this exceptional period human, imbued with solidarity and consistent with the values ​​of football? Should we add difficulties to the difficulties for cities and territories already very bruised from a health, economic and social point of view? ”, Had asked the leader to plead the cause of his club. 

Failed by the LFP for an L1 at 22, Amiens wants to continue fighting via @ 20minutesSport https://t.co/hgkMfptuba

- 20 Minutes Sport (@ 20minutesSport) June 22, 2020

This decision does not mean the end of the battle. Amiens SC expected this, and has been standing for several days already "ready" for the future, as confided to us on Monday by Olivier Martin, the club's lawyer. A new appeal to the Council of State could be filed. "The only place where you can have a fair discussion is before the judge," explained the lawyer. Our strategy will be to tell him that in reality, the League did not respond to the injunction given to him because his decision to keep the format at 20 was taken on questionable elements. ”

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Ligue 1: From a calendar point of view, is it playable a championship at 22?

  • Toulouse
  • Amiens SC
  • Soccer
  • League 1
  • LFP
  • Sport