Lyon, relegated club Amiens to challenge ending of Ligue 1 season

French Ligue 1 club, Lyon has been joined by relegated Amiens in a move to challenge the decision to end the Ligue 1 season early before the Council of State, France’s highest administrative court.

The hearing on the appeals by the two clubs will take place on June 4, Alain Gest, president of the Amiens regional council tweeted on Thursday.

The club oppose the April 30 decision by the French Football League (LFP) to end the season due to the coronavirus pandemic, after the government said sports leagues could not resume until September at the earliest.

Amiens were relegated from Ligue 1 as the second-bottom team after the final table was decided based on points per game, with 10 scheduled rounds of matches remaining.

“Amiens are still fighting against this decision which we find unfair, incoherent and unfounded,” Amiens president Bernard Joannin told AFP.

“The LFP board of directors has pronounced an arbitrary relegation of our club.”

Lyon, who missed qualification for the Europa League after finishing seventh, said on Monday that they would also appeal at the Council of State.

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas also wrote a letter Monday to France’s prime minister and sports minister urging them to reconsider the decision to end the season, with the government expected to announce next week a further easing of the lockdown.

Toulouse, who were in last place in Ligue 1 when the season ended, have also initiated legal action although they did not wish to confirm whether they too would appeal to the Council of State.

Ajaccio, who were third in Ligue 2, said they would follow that course of action.

“We maintain that AC Ajaccio are destined to play in Ligue 1 next season,” they said.

On Tuesday, an amendment on sports to Emmanuel Macron’s government’s latest emergency bill, to allow leagues to resume their seasons was defeated in the French Senate.