Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 clash with Lyon has been moved from Sunday to Monday evening at the request of Paris police, the French league said on Friday. The match was originally scheduled for 8:45 p.m. on Sunday, only hours after France's first NFL game took place just north of Paris. It will now be played at Parc des Princes in western Paris at 8:30 p.m. local time.
Police resources are stretched in the French capital with mass protests planned for this weekend. The LFP said in a statement that it "acknowledges the order issued by the police prefecture prohibiting the staging of the match between Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais [on Sunday]." The new time also clashes with the Ballon d'Or ceremony set for London, where ten PSG players are nominated, including Ousmane Dembélé, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Willian Pacho, Fabián Ruiz, Ferran Torres and Vitinha.
France has seen its worst rioting in years. Last weekend, city halls, other public buildings and thousands of businesses across the country were affected as police and protesters clashed, with shops destroyed and burned out. Last Saturday, 110 marches drew about 550,000 people nationwide, protesting rising living costs and poor conditions in schools.
Defending champion PSG and Lyon were level on 14 points at the top of Ligue 1 heading into this weekend's eighth round of games. Meanwhile, the NFL holds its first American football game in Paris on Sunday afternoon, when the Pittsburgh Steelers face the New Orleans Saints at the Stade de France, which is expected to draw around 80,000 fans. The stadium is just outside Paris and can be reached by a short train ride from Gare de Lyon, Gare du Nord and Châtelet, or by subway.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing