Champions League finalists, PSG will have 12 additional days to prepare for the 2020/21 season after French authorities agreed to rearrange their opening Ligue 1 game.
The French top-flight began last weekend without PSG who had a Champions League final game with Bayern Munich. The French title winners were due to play Lens on Saturday, six days after losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
PSG has been granted an extended break before starting their 2020/21 season. The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) confirmed PSG’s request has been approved by both Lens and local broadcaster Canal .
The game will now be played on Thursday, 10th September straight after the international break.
Additionally, this weekend’s clash between Strasbourg and Nice has been brought forward by a day, to the Saturday evening timeslot originally occupied by Lens’ home game against PSG.
The Lens fixture which will air after the international break will be PSG’s first match of the new season as they are due to host rivals Marseille three days later.
Marseille had been set to begin their campaign last Friday but their trip to Saint-Etienne was postponed after OM confirmed four positive COVID-19 cases in their squad.
On Tuesday, Marseille revealed, “three new suspected cases of COVID-19 were detected” and said the LFP had been informed.
Given the LFP’s directive that more than three positive cases would likely lead to a postponement, Marseille’s trip to Brest this weekend would also appear to now be in doubt.
Last season’s Ligue 1 was the highest-profile European League which did not resume after coronavirus pandemic with PSG who were 12 points clear at the top was handed the title.
The Parisians also won the Trophee des Champions, Coupe de la Ligue and Coupe de France last season to complete a domestic quadruple. Meanwhile, their clash with Bayern last weekend marked the club’s first-ever appearance in a European Cup Final.