On the heels of the French government’s announcement that professional sporting events would not return the beginning of September, the country’s Ligue 1 soccer league was forced to cancel the rest of its season.
On Thursday, news leaked that Paris Saint-Germain, which held a twelve-point lead over second-place Marseille in the standings before the season was called off, will officially be crowned champions of the 2019-20 season.
PSG had not clinched the title mathematically, but it would have been difficult to imagine any scenario in which the megaclub didn’t finish the season on top.
However, Ligue 1’s decision does differ from the other well-known European league that has announced its cancellation. The Netherlands’ Eredivisie, which saw a close race between Ajax and AZ Alkmaar, opted to not name a champion.
The squad from the French capital won 22 of its 27 matches in domestic play this season, drawing only twice and losing three games. The 2019-20 title will be their seventh consecutive Ligue 1 triumph, with no other side having won the competition since 2011-12.
Marseille, the second-place finishers, will be awarded a Champions League spot for their strong campaign for the first time since the 2013-14 season. Rennes, in third place, will have to play the qualification rounds in order to look to qualify for a spot.
Lille and Reims, fourth and fifth, will participate in the next edition of the UEFA Europa League, and sixth place Nice will play in the qualification rounds.
