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Toulouse and Amiens saved as court blocks Ligue 1 relegation


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France's highest court has ruled there should be no relegation from Ligue 1 this season.

The French campaign was ended early due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It means Amiens and Toulouse will stay in Ligue 1 next season, with the division to be expanded to 22 teams.

The Supreme Administrative Court denied Lyon's request to pick the season up where it had left off prior to the pandemic.

It means Lyon finish 7th in the table, and will miss out on even a Europa League spot for next term unless they conspire to win this season's Champions League.

Paris Saint-Germain were crowned champions when the decision was made on April 30 to curtail the French season.

In his summation, Judge Bertrand Dacosta found that "there is no serious doubt" regarding the legality of the LFP (French Football League) to end the season early which he says, "weighed the advantages and the disadvantages of an immediate stop of the championship, whereas a very great uncertainty affected the assumption of a possible restarting of the competitions in good time."

Judge Dacosta addressed the situation of Amiens and Toulouse by saying their finishing 19th and 20th does not mean they should also be relegated.

He said relegation for both would be a "serious and immediate attack" on the clubs' interests.

Amiens president Bernard Joannin said the original decision to relegate them and Toulouse "lacked humanity" given that they were four-points from safety with 30 points still to play for.

In welcoming Judge Dacosta's ruling, Joannin said on Tuesday, "We are proud and honoured to have defended sports fairness before the highest administrative body which has seen a victory for football's values."

Toulouse have also welcomed the judge's decision.

Their rescue appears more miraculous than that of Amiens, given the fact they were 14 points from safety when football was suspended, having lost 21 of their Ligue 1 games.


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