London: Lyon President Jean-Michel Aulas on Wednesday hit out at the decision to end Ligue 1 early in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.
French authorities in April had announced that all sporting activities will remain suspended in the country as a precautionary measure against the spread of COVID-19.
This saw Ligue 1 ending abruptly and PSG being crowned champions. Aulas branded the decision to do so as a massive error, considering Bundesliga, Premier League, Serie A and LaLiga are all up and running now.
“All that was needed was to stop temporarily, assess the situation and take a decision on whether to stop later on,” Aulas was quoted as saying by BBC Sport.
“It is a massive error, firstly because the country needs football and at the moment, to watch football, we are now obliged to turn to football in other countries.
“Above all, we’re going to go through a dramatic period for French football that will be deprived of its revenue,” he added.Earlier, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Ander Herrera had revealed that the decision to end Ligue 1 prematurely came as a surprise for the players.
“We were very surprised. I remember that in the team chat many of us were in shock, in fact some did not believe it,” Herrera was quoted as saying by Spanish outlet AS last month.
At the top of the French football league system, Ligue 1 is the country’s primary football competition. Administrated by the Ligue de Football Professionnel, Ligue 1 is contested by 20 clubs and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Ligue 2.Seasons run from August to May.
Clubs play two matches against each of the other teams in the league – once home and once away – totalling to 38 matches over the course of the season. (IANS)
