Ligue 1 was, along with the Eredivisie, the only one of the major European leagues that did not resume after the stoppage due to the coronavirus and this Friday it will become the first to return. It does so under the fear of covid-19, which has affected several clubs. Meanwhile, the current champions, Paris Saint-Germain de Neymar and Kylian Mbappé (PSG), see their match of the first day (against Metz) postponed because on Sunday they play the Champions League final against Bayern in Lisbon, just like Lyon's (who lost the semifinal to the Bavarians 0-3), against Montpellier, is also postponed.
Four cases of coronavirus in the runner-up Marseille forced to postpone to September what was going to be the opening match of Ligue 1 2020-21, between the Vélodrome and Saint-Étienne. It starts at the end with Bordeaux-Nantes. Nimes-Brest is in the air after a new case has been discovered. All clubs urge their players to exercise caution. But the future of the championship is in the air if the cases continue to increase. Outside of football, the authorities could confine the population if the general situation worsened.
The suspension of Ligue 1 in March took its toll on the clubs, which lost part of their television rights income. Now they hope to cover the deficit thanks to the new contract with Mediapro. The fact that the games are played with a maximum of 5,000 spectators in the stands does not invite optimism from an economic point of view.
France has lived with euphoria that two of its teams reached the Champions semi-finals, PSG and Lyon. But regarding Ligue 1 that begins today there are doubts about the preparation of the clubs affected by the coronavirus: friendlies canceled, return to training without contact, players in isolation. The most affected have been Strasbourg (9 affected players), Nantes (7) and Montpellier (6), although the majority asymptomatic.
The market ends on October 5 and PSG's main move was to make use of its purchase option so that Mauro Icardi would stay in exchange for 50 million euros. It will be a Ligue 1 without emblems like EdinsonCavani or Thiago Silva.
THE 1ST DAY
Friday
Bordeaux-Nantes 19.00 (Movistar Champions League)
Saturday
Dijon-Angers 17.00
Lille-Rennes 21.00
Sunday
Monaco-Reims 13.00
Lorient-Strasbourg 15.00
Nimes-Brest 15.00
Nice-Lens 17.00
September 15
Montpellier-Lyon 21.00
16 of September
Paris SG – Metz
September, 17th
Marseille-St. Etienne 21.00