Paris Saint-Germain To Cooperate With Olympique de Marseille On Rescheduled Date

Bitter words have been fired between the boardrooms of Olympique de Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain over the controversially postponed Clasico on Sunday, but the tension has now eased as les Parisiens aim to accommodate their opponents’ desire to rearrange the fixture for the early part of 2010.

The weekend’s match was called off just hours before kick-off due to concerns over the number of PSG players with swine flu, an outcome that led to much frustration in the camp of les Phoceens, who are concerned about their packed schedule between now and the Christmas break.

Ligue 1 rules would suggest that the fixture has to be played before the winter break, but both sides are eager to arrange a date early next year, with head coach of the Parc des Princes club, Antoine Kombouare, indicating that he understands the congestion headaches his counterpart, Didier Deschamps, has at present.

“Out of respect for Marseille, but mostly because of Didier, I said to him, ‘Try to find a date for you and we will try to calibrate it,’” Kombouare explained to RMC.

“We must agree that OM should approach their matches in the Champions League in the best possible condition.”

PSG initially wanted a December 2 date for the game, but Marseille are scheduled to play Real Madrid in the Champions League six days later and are loathe to play such an important fixture off the back of a doubtless frantic Clasico, as well as a league game against Nice.

“It’s not possible for Marseille, and we certainly won’t force their hand,” Kombouare affirmed.

Adding to the headache of the December 2 date is the France-New Zealand rugby international destined to take place on November 28, which will leave the turf in a terrible state.

November 15 had been another proposed date, but France head coach Raymond Domenech has dismissed that out of hand because it comes only days before les Bleus clash with the Republic of Ireland in a vital World Cup play-off.

“When I heard that rumour, I told myself, ‘I dream, I'm a nightmare, I'll wake up,’” Domenech said to the AFP news agency.

“I find it unacceptable and intolerable that one can think of [rearranging the game] a time like that.”

A date sometime early next year now looks the likeliest outcome for the Clasico.

Robin Bairner, Goal.com