LFP Orders Psg-rennes Return Match to Be Played at Parc Des Princes

The first-round match, which ended in a 2-2 draw, was held in Ille-et-Vilaine because the Parc des Princes turf had been damaged by summer heatwaves. This unexpected switch forced Stade Rennais to hastily organize hosting the reigning two-time European champions. Uncertainty had hung over the venue for the return match, as a reciprocal swap was not automatic, while the Bretons wanted to host the Parisians again.

The LFP's competitions commission ultimately decided on Friday to hold the return at the Parc. Article 501 of the league's administrative regulations states that such inversions "have no impact on the rest of the calendar, except in exceptional circumstances. The LFP nonetheless fined the Parisian club €150,000 for failing to meet its obligations regarding the "playability" of the pitch.

The choice of venue for the return match had caused tensions between representatives of the two clubs. Rennes board chairman Nicolas de Tavernost had argued in the week of August 17-23 that the return should also be played in Rennes. "We are not the guilty party in this affair; things need to be put in their proper place, he said.