French court suspends Ligue 1 relegation

France’s highest court has suspended the relegation of Amiens and Toulouse from Ligue 1, but, the league will remain curtailed.

The league was canceled in April due to the fear of the spread of coronavirus, a decision which saw PSG awarded the title on a points-per-games basis and Ligue 2 sides Lorient and Lens were promoted.

After the decision to end the league, Lyon, Amiens, and Toulouse went to court to fight the French Football League (LFP).

Lyon was against the decision to end the season as is because it meant that they missed out on a European spot, given that they were seventh under the points-per-game system.

Toulouse, who have been in the French top flight since 2003, were bottom of the table by 17 points, while 19th-placed Amiens were seven points from safety.

In its decision published on Tuesday, the Council of State said there was “no serious doubt on the legality of the decision” to curtail the season and said that the judge “validates the terms defined by the league, in particular for the classification of the Ligue 1 championship”.

But it added: “The judge, therefore, orders the Professional Football League, in conjunction with the competent bodies of the FFF, to re-examine the question of the format of Ligue 1 for the 2020-2021 season, in the light of all the elements relating to the conditions in which this season is likely to take place, and to draw the consequences as to the principle of relegation before 30 June.”

Now that relegation has been suspended by the court, in the 2020/21 season, the French top flight will have 22 teams, and not the usual 20