Wednesday 17 June 2020 11:54, UK
Lyon have hit out at the decision to curtail the Ligue 1 season and believe "French football is currently moving in the wrong direction".
The decision to cut short the 2019-20 campaign was made last month, with Paris Saint-Germain declared champions, after French authorities decreed no sporting events could be held until at least September because of coronavirus.
However, Lyon feel league officials have been too hasty given a number of other sporting events in the country, including the Coupe de la Ligue and Coupe de France, have so far only been postponed.
A statement on the club's website said: "It was therefore quite possible to envisage another scenario allowing the championship to end in August, for example with a play-off system, subject of course to the development of the health situation and while respecting the instructions given by the government.
"Olympique Lyonnais continues to think that French football is currently moving in the wrong direction but that it may not be too late to try to imagine, in the light of what is happening everywhere in Europe, something that is coherent in political, health and sport terms."
The division was decided on a points-per-game basis after some teams had played 27 matches and others 28, resulting in Lyon finishing seventh, ruling out their chances of a European place next season.
Lyon's statement added: "The league took this premature decision which penalises in sporting and economic terms a large number of French clubs while other institutions have done everything possible to ensure that their events which are part of the heritage of French sport."
Over the weekend Cesc Fabregas said he believes the decision to cancel the Ligue 1 season may have been taken too early.
"It is a big decision that they took, I understand why they took it," he told beIN SPORTS. "Maybe it was taken too soon, considering a lot of the big leagues are trying to make it happen.
"Although I completely understand the meaning behind it and it's better to be safe in all accounts, because the most important thing is the families and the health of everyone which I support 100 per cent.
"But maybe we could have considered doing training by ourselves, individually where you have basically no risk. You're not touching anyone, you're not close to anyone and see if everything was getting closer to football behind played all over the world. Obviously, it's very difficult and I understand someone needs to make decisions."
