As the Stade de France is not available on May 23, the Coupe de France final could be relocated. In Lille or Lyon potentially.
This was the puzzle of the day at the Executive Committee of the French Football Federation. Due to the work in progress as part of the Grand Paris Express, the Stade de France should not be able to host the final of the French Cup scheduled for May 23. Mainly due to lack of transport.
« We had an important meeting on this subject with state services yesterdaysays Jean-François Vilotte, general director of the FFF, as relayed by Le Parisien. We could play on Saturday evening at the Stade de France without any difficulty. But the State’s response due to the work and transport as part of the Grand Paris Express plan is to only play there on Friday evenings. »
With the final of the Europa League – a competition in which OL remains involved to this day – scheduled for Wednesday May 20 in Istanbul, there is no question of bringing forward the final of the Coupe de France by one day. Two venues have therefore applied to relocate the event: the Pierre-Mauroy stadium and the Groupama Stadium.
Two alternatives pending
In both cases, the FFF cannot anticipate its choice. Because Lens is still involved in the competition and cannot play its final in Villeneuve-d’Ascq. Same thought for OL and Décines. A caution which is however not required when PSG in particular has to play a national final in Ile de France.
« We have noted with all state services that none of the other hypotheses can be resolved today. They will perhaps be, possibly, after the round of 16 of the Coupe de France and after the first decisive matches in the Europa League », concludes Jean-François Vilotte.
