Foot & Soccer Soccer Match Reports, Football News
August 8 – The decision to reschedule French Ligue 2 fixtures from Saturday evenings to Friday nights has sparked an increasing backlash, with USL Dunkerque becoming the latest club to voice its concerns.
On Tuesday evening, the club issued a statement condemning the move by the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) and broadcaster beIN Sports, arguing that the change could adversely affect their season, fan support, and the engagement of their Turkish shareholder, Amissos.
Dunkirk joins a growing number of clubs challenging the timing of the Ligue 2 fixtures, which traditionally took place on Saturdays at 7 pm. The club’s statement highlighted the logistical difficulties this sudden shift imposes, including potential disruptions to matchday preparations and reduced attendance due to the inconvenient scheduling.
The club also emphasised the broader implications of this decision, noting that it could weaken the connection between the team and its supporters, both locally and abroad. This is particularly concerning for Dunkirk given their partnership with Amissos.
As the LFP and beIN Sports push forward with the new schedule, Dunkirk’s protest adds to the mounting pressure on the league authorities to reconsider the decision, which many fear could undermine the competitive and commercial aspects of Ligue 2.
“USL Dunkirk wishes to express its astonishment at the recent decision of the Professional League concerning the programming of matches on Friday evening. This change, announced at the last minute, has provoked lively and legitimate reactions from our supporters and partners, which we fully understand,” the club said in a press release.
“While we are obviously happy that the Professional Football League was able to find an agreement for the broadcast of our beautiful BKT Ligue 2 championship, the information about this change in programming, for which the USL Dunkirk was by no means consulted, arrived only a few days before the start of the…
Source link : https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2024/08/08/french-ligue2-clubs-grow-opposition-friday-night-match-scheduling/
Author : Paul Nicholson
Publish date : 2024-08-08 09:01:19
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