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France has set a precedent by canceling the Ligue 1 campaign with 11 games left to play and naming Paris Saint-Germain champions.
PSG were awarded a ninth title due to being at the summit of the French top-flight, 12 points clear of nearest rivals Marseille.
Marseille were second at the time of the suspension, while Rennes third.
Ligue de Football Professionnel has therefore decided that these two clubs will represent France in the Champions League next season.
This comes as a blow for Lille, who were fourth, and a single point behind Rennes.
And, obviously, as a massive boost for Rennes, who will be featuring in the competition for the first time in the club’s history.
(Image: EMPICS Sport)
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Behind Lille, Reims were placed fifth while Nice sixth. These three clubs will therefore represent France in the Europa League.
Lille were on 49 points when the season was suspended, while Reims and Nice were both joint on 41 points – a single point more than Lyon, Montpellier and Monaco in seventh, eighth, and ninth respectively.
At the other end of the table, rock-bottom Toulouse have been relegated to Ligue 2, and they will be joined by Amiens, who were nineteenth when the season was suspended.
The two teams replacing them in the top-flight are FC Lorient, who were top of Ligue 2, and RC Lens, who were second.
(Image: AFP / Getty Images)
The French league system is different to England’s when it comes to play-offs.
In England, the four teams in the Championship who finish between third and sixth face off against each other until the one overall winner is promoted.
They then take the place of one of three teams relegated.
In France, the play-off system sees the team who finished seventeenth in Ligue 1 play the team who finished third in Ligue 2 over two legs.
(Image: REUTERS)
The overall winner then plays in the top flight next season, meaning the number of teams being relegated and promoted can change each campaign.
If the Premier league was to follow France’s lead, then this is how things would look:
Manchester United, Wolves and Sheffield United would therefore be representing England in the Europa League next season, with Tottenham and Arsenal missing out.
(Image: REUTERS)
At the bottom, things are a little more complicated.
Following the French system would see Norwich, Aston Villa and, perhaps, Bournemouth all be relegated to the Championship.
Leeds and West Brom, who are currently first and second in the Championship, would then be promoted in their place, but the difference in the play-off system means the English FA would then have to make a decision on the third team.
(Image: @ Ligue1Conforama / Twitter)
It could follow suit and promote third-placed Fulham at the expense of Bournemouth, who occupy the eighteenth spot in the Premier League.
Or it may decide to relegate only two teams, which would mean the Cherries survive the drop, while Fulham remain in Championship.
The FA has yet to decide once and for all how it’s going to conclude the season, if at all.
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