July 7, 2026

The African Tribune

Bold, independent reporting on Africa's most important stories, in English, every day.

LFP rejects Olympique Lyonnais’s request to postpone opening ligue 1 match

Olympique Lyonnais will not receive any special concessions as they embark on their European journey. Not yet fully secured a spot in the prestigious Champions League, OL faces a crucial third preliminary round in early August. Should they advance, the club will then potentially compete in the play-offs approximately two weeks later to secure their place among Europe’s elite.

These pivotal play-off encounters are scheduled to take place mere days before the inaugural Ligue 1 championship fixtures are set to begin. Notably, Paulo Fonseca’s squad is slated to visit Toulouse during this period. Confronted with this tight schedule, the Olympique Lyonnais leadership formally submitted a request to the LFP (Ligue de Football Professionnel) via written correspondence, seeking a deferral of their initial Ligue 1 match. Lyon’s appeal, as reported, highlighted the “superior interest of French football” to bolster their case.

 

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However, the LFP delivered a negative response to Olympique Lyonnais’s plea, firmly declining to reschedule any Ligue 1 fixtures at the commencement of the season. Consequently, OL must now contend with the existing schedule, should they successfully qualify for the play-off rounds.