PSG have requested the federation to postpone their next match in the Coupe de France, as manager Laurent Blanc fears that the domestic tie is in very close proximity to the Champions league tie against Chelsea.
PSG host Chelsea on February 16th, and as per the schedule, the French champions have their next Coupe de France match on February 10th. A league match against Lille is also squeezed in between February 10th and February 16th.
Blanc wants to postpone Coupe de France tie
If PSG’s schedule goes unchanged, they will end up playing 10 matches in the next five weeks, four more than Chelsea. Blanc knows it will be a difficult tie, and has requested the French Football Federation to move the date of their round of 16 match in the Coupe de France.
“The way to sort out the problem would have been to get knocked out of the two [domestic] cup competitions, but we don’t want that,” Blanc said, as reported by ESPN FC.
“We’re Paris Saint-Germain — we can’t think like that — but on the other hand, I hope our last week [before the Chelsea game] will be rearranged.”
‘We’re fighting for France’s UEFA coefficient’
If the Coupe de France fixture is moved, PSG will get a breather ahead of the tie against Chelsea, and Laurent Blanc’s men can shift their Ligue 1 match against Marseille to February 7th.
“We hope that the federation pay attention to this request,” Blanc said. “It’s going to cause some grinding of teeth but we’re also fighting for France’s UEFA co-efficient.”
Tough task for PSG as they face a ‘new’ Chelsea
After a horrendous start to the campaign, much has happened at Chelsea FC. While a top four spot still looks unlikely, the change in personnel has motivated the players and fans alike.
With a 19-point lead over Monaco in Ligue 1, PSG have virtually won the title. However, being one of Europe’s big spenders, the Champions League has to be Laurent Blanc’s target. The Frenchman would know he will be facing a tough side, and one can imagine why he is so adamant on having his schedule changed to focus on the match against the English champions.
