Stade Rennais is refusing to let the PSG/Rennes matter rest there. Following the decision to swap the home and away fixtures—meaning the return leg would be played at the Parc des Princes—the Breton club has appealed to the CNOSF (French National Olympic and Sports Committee). According to L’Équipe, Rennes feels aggrieved after having agreed to help Paris Saint-Germain out in an emergency situation.
Rennes feels penalized after doing a favor
“In this affair, Rennes believes it has been disadvantaged after agreeing to reorganize on short notice—within four days—to host PSG (and disappoint fans who were away on holiday), under the impression that this would not alter the return fixture scheduled for Roazhon Park. The Rennes club also maintains that if PSG is being fined, it is precisely because the club failed to fulfill its obligations; therefore, there is no reason for Rennes to be forced to travel to Paris in March.”
Rennes’ argument is quite clear-cut. The Breton club had agreed to upend its operations to allow the match on August 23 to go ahead—a game ultimately played at Roazhon Park that ended in a 2-2 draw. Yet, a few days later, the LFP (Professional Football League) ratified the swapping of the two fixtures while simultaneously fining PSG €150,000 for failing to provide a playable pitch. It is precisely this combination of outcomes that Rennes finds unacceptable.
Paris’s justification also challenged
“The Breton club also rejects the notion of ‘exceptional circumstances’ cited by PSG regarding the summer heatwave. On the contrary, it argues that heatwaves cannot automatically be classified as exceptional circumstances that absolve Paris of responsibility for organizing its match—especially given that PSG reportedly made very little effort to find an alternative venue.”
Thus, Rennes is challenging not only the consequences of the decision but also the grounds upon which it was based. For its part, the LFP upholds the principle that every club must play an equal number of home and away matches, noting that Rennes could have refused to swap the first leg—which would have resulted in a postponement. The CNOSF must now review the case and issue an opinion, which the League remains free to follow or disregard.
Rennes’ position is understandable, particularly given the effort made to host the match on short notice. However, it is not entirely beyond dispute. The LFP points out that Rennes could have declined the swap—leading to a postponement—and maintains a simple logic: if the first leg was moved to Rennes, the return leg must be moved to Paris to preserve the balance between home and away games. In other words, while Stade Rennais may feel aggrieved, they had also agreed to the initial arrangement that set this entire chain of events in motion. The appeal to the CNOSF will primarily determine whether this sporting rationale is sufficient to offset the tangible consequences faced by the Breton club.
