Ligue 1 should have been decided by standings at half-way mark, says Nantes president

Nantes president Waldemar Kita says the final Ligue 1 table should have been decided based on results at the halfway mark of the season.

The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) confirmed last week that the rest of the 2019-20 campaign has been cancelled after Prime minister Edouard Philippe declared that football could not be played in the country until September.

Paris Saint-Germain were subsequently declared French champions, while Amiens and Toulouse were relegated to Ligue 2 due to their place in the table when the campaign was scrapped after 28 matches.

The decision has angered several clubs in the top-flight, with Lyon threatening legal action because they will miss out on European qualification and Amiens promising to appeal against their relegation.

Kita believes the authorities should have reverted the table back to the standings after week 19 to avoid so much anger.

"We were the only ones with Amiens [to defend this option],” he told L'Equipe.

“I think it was logical, we had done one part of the season and not the other, I think we had to do it like this or continue. I respect what was decided, even if I don't find it very logical.

“It's dramatic for clubs, you have to say it the way it is. We are prepared to find solutions but it is dramatic.

“Now, Nantes finished in 13th place, we could have finished much higher so, already, just on that, there is a shortfall, not to mention TV rights.”

Although the Nantes chief says he understands the decision to call off the campaign already, he feels other countries in Europe have been wise to wait before giving up hope.

“I see that England will resume training next week, apparently they will end up behind closed doors,” he added.

“In Germany, in Austria, in countries in Eastern Europe, this has already started.

“Italy, Spain and Portugal also want to finish the season. Afterwards, I also have the impression that elsewhere the TV rights have not been questioned like here.”

Nantes were 13th in the table when the season was ended, sitting 12 points behind the last European place and 10 points above the relegation zone.