By Euan Sangster
Breaking news has emerged from the French Football Federation (FFF) over the last week that the domestic competitions in French football have all been cut short, meaning that the current standings of Ligue 1 Conforama and Ligue 2 Conforama are final.
Paris Saint Germain (PSG) were crowned champions for the seventh time out of the last ten seasons in the Ligue 1, with the Ligue 2 Conforama title going to Lorient who have now regained their top flight status for the first time since the 2016/17 season.
Meanwhile, Toulouse and Amiens have now been relegated from the top flight, with Lens filling the other space in the division after finishing second in the Ligue 2. As well as the relegation spots being final, Champions League and Europa League spots for next season have been awarded to the teams that occupy the position in the table.
Stade Rennais will now be competing in the Champions League for the first time in their history as of next season due to them ‘finishing’ the season in 3rd place. Marseille will also be making a return to the competition after a 7 year absence. Europa League places were also awarded to Lille, Reims and Nicce.
Beavers fans will be wondering if this news will have an effect on how the remainder of the season pans out. If this was to be implemented into the National League South, Hampton & Richmond would finish 8th, missing out on the playoffs by the skin of their teeth. Wealdstone would then be crowned champions with Havant and Waterlooville finishing runner up, securing automatic promotion. The National League also has the playoffs to worry about as, unlike domestic leagues in France, three teams get promotion every year. Meaning that one space would be left unfilled due to the playoff scenario. This results in it being a harder issue to tackle in English leagues below the Premier League.
Hampton & Richmond currently sit just three points from the playoff spaces in the league with a game in hand on certain teams above, which, if played, could result in position changes, meaning that the playoff picture would look different to its current status. As well as this, nobody knows what would happen in the playoffs, meaning that it would be unfair to award the last promotion place to the current 3rd place team, due to there being no guarantee of them coming out on top in the playoffs.
The National League are still yet to provide clarity on what is going to happen with the remaining fixtures of the season, yet this solution is becoming increasingly likely due to the current circumstances in the country and the news that non-league divisions have been expunged.
This is sure to be a tough time for many clubs in National League South, but Hampton & Richmond in particular will be deeply disappointed if this is implemented into the division due to the good run of form they displayed before the coronavirus outbreak, making them within touching distance of a lucrative playoff spot.
We would be interested in what you think should happen to the Beavers, and if you believe that the ruling by the FFF is fair and should be relayed for the National League?
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