Ligue 1 ends, PSG winners
PARIS, FRANCE (AP):
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN (PSG) were declared champions of the French football league yesterday after the season ended early because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The announcement from the league followed the French government’s decision on Tuesday to call off the football and rugby seasons in the country and end plans to resume.
“We have (acknowledged) the end of the 201920 season and we have awarded the league title to PSG,” league president Nathalie Boy de la Tour said.
PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi dedicated the title to the “healthcare staff and to all the everyday heroes on the front line whose commitment and selfsacrifice over many weeks have earned our deepest admiration”.
The top two divisions in French football had 10 rounds of matches left to play. PSG led secondplace Marseille by 12 points, having played one game fewer.
“We understand, respect and support the decisions taken by the French government to end the championship,” Al-Khelaifi said. “Health, as the government has always said, must be everyone’s priority.”
Marseille qualified directly for the UEFA Champions League while third-place Rennes will enter the qualifying rounds and fourth-place Lille goes into the Europa League.
At the bottom of the standings, last-place Toulouse and 19th-place Amiens were relegated while second-division leader Lorient and second-place Lens were promoted. The relegation-promotion play-off between the team in 18th place in the first division and the team in third in the second division was scrapped.
“We gave our leagues every chance to start again in mid-June,” Boy de la Tour said in a conference call with reporters. “It brings an end to the uncertainty.”
LEAGUE TITLES
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas had reportedly argued for a play-off system to complete the league season. His team finished in seventh place and missed out on the Champions League.
PSG have won nine league titles, moving even with rival Marseille and one behind French recordholders Saint-Étienne. Since 2013, PSG have won the league every year but one, with the exception being Monaco’s title in 2017. The other titles for PSG were in 1986 and ‘94.
PSG striker Kylian Mbappé finished as the top scorer for the second straight season, although this time he is tied with Monaco forward Wissam Ben Yedder with 18 goals. PSG winger Ángel Di María had the most assists with 14, ahead of Monaco forward Islam Slimani with eight.