Bad news for The le Mans and Orleans. As expected, the French football Federation (FFF) has rejected the principle of the enlargement of the number of clubs in League 2 for the coming season. Both clubs hoped to be able to avoid relegation and move in a championship to 22 teams, up from 20 currently. This reform had been passed a week earlier by a short majority (57% of the votes) by the general assembly of the professional football League (LFP). But the FFF, faithful to the principles of its president, Noël Le Graët, has whistled the end of the match.
Supporter assumed the maintenance of promotions and relégations at all levels of football, amateur and professional, The Graët has convinced the executive committee of the FFF to go against this reform. Even if this meeting brings together all of the professional clubs in French, as well as representatives of all the families of the football, it is the "Comex" of the FFF, which consists of a small half of the leaders of clubs, regional leagues and districts under the auspices of the patron of the Federation, which has the ultimate decision-making power.
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A decision "unjust and cruel"
It is indeed authorized, according to its general regulations and the agreement linking the League to the Federation, to take " all decisions, except in disciplinary matters ", " to possibly reform them, as soon as he deems contrary to the best interests of football or the rules and regulations ". And this, even though this same convention allows a L2 with up to twenty-two clubs more." "The two runs foreseen for the season 2019-2020 are maintained and the championship of League 2 will remain at 20 clubs for the season 2020-2021 ", pounds, and the FFF in a press release without a call.
This power of "evocation" might sign the end of the hopes of le Mans and Orleans, respectively 19th and 20th in the second division during the premature shutdown of the championship because of a pandemic and that appeared as the main winners of the reform, initially approved by the clubs. Pau and Dunkerque, at the head of the National 1, are beautiful and well-promoted in League 2. In a joint statement, the clubs manceau and orléanais have announced to take notice of this rejection, saying it was "disappointed" with a decision " unjust and cruel ".
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Toulouse and Lyon were on the lookout
If the expansion to 22 teams had been validated, these two teams would have made an exception in the French football, being the only relégables of their division to not know of the descent to the lower level in the Hex. And this had not escaped to other disappointed with the terms of the judgment of the championships, such as Toulouse or Lyon. The president of toulouse, Olivier Sadran, had so raised the existence of " two different rules ", in remarks reported by the daily of The Team.
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And his counterpart of lyon Jean-Michel Aulas has raised "an issue of fairness, "giving" lots of arguments " in favour of legal action is filed by the OL. Many amateur clubs have also filed appeals to challenge their relégations. The FFF, by its decision, seems to reduce the margin of manoeuvre legal of these clubs unhappy. But it sounds may be the start of other procedures, if Le Mans or Orléans came to want to challenge in court their relegation. "We will now together with our advice to consider the action to be taken in the face of this decision ", pointed out the two clubs.
On the other hand, the question of the dams, if any, between the L2 and the National 1, claimed by the club of Boulogne-sur-Mer, 3rd in the third division, has not been mentioned by the FFF. The League (LFP) has not ruled on this subject, even if the play-off and dams between League 1 and League 2 have been cancelled. This ad may still be in other action...
