Lens slam PSG's request to postpone clash in order to focus on Liverpool tie

PSG, the current European champions, will host Liverpool just three days prior to their match against Lens at Stade Bollaert-Delelis, followed by a trip to Anfield for the second leg on April 14.

Liverpool, in the meantime, have a domestic fixture that weekend, taking on Fulham in the Premier League on April 11, which is the original date for the PSG versus Lens game.

PSG lead the Ligue 1 standings, with Lens trailing by a single point, and Luis Enrique's team also holding an extra match to play.

France's Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) announced that PSG submitted an official request to delay the game, yet Lens voiced strong objections. Strasbourg have similarly sought to reschedule their Ligue 1 encounter with Brest to better ready themselves for the Europa Conference League quarter-final against Mainz.

"Acting with responsibility and moderation, Racing Club de Lens informed Paris Saint-Germain right from the initial discussions that they opposed any alteration to this date..." Lens declared in a statement released on Monday.

"We believe a concerning trend is emerging, one where the French league is increasingly treated as a flexible element subject to the European priorities of select teams.

"This represents a strange view of sporting equity, hard to match in other prominent European tournaments."

Lens highlighted that the issue touches on broader concerns regarding the importance of national leagues.

"Looking past this particular situation, the core issue involves the respect owed to the league as a whole. One might question how, even on home soil, the domestic competition occasionally appears secondary to other goals, no matter how valid they are," the club continued.

Earlier this season, PSG received approval for a comparable postponement during their Champions League last-16 clash with Chelsea, when their Ligue 1 fixture against Nantes was moved, allowing five days between the legs.

"Decisions to adjust the schedule are solely the responsibility of the French football governing bodies, guided by current regulations and the commitment to equal treatment among clubs," a PSG insider shared with Reuters.

"Within this framework, PSG and Strasbourg have sought to rearrange their game to optimise preparation for this crucial match of their campaign."