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Lens claimed a 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain to lift the Trophee des Champions, with Florian Thauvin scoring the only goal. But the French governing body, the LFP, has come in for severe criticism after holding the game at Lens' home stadium despite rules stating that the fixture should be played at a neutral venue.

Lens win silverware amid venue row

Lens began their campaign by winning the Trophee des Champions after a 1-0 victory against PSG. Thauvin netted the decisive strike for the Sang et Or, who managed to hold firm despite having to play for a long spell with a numerical disadvantage.

However, the outcome has been overshadowed almost entirely by strong criticism aimed at the LFP over the way the match was organised. Although the curtain-raiser is supposed to be staged on neutral ground, the French authorities chose to host it at Lens' home venue, Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

Huge crowd imbalance triggers strong backlash

By taking the match to Bollaert, Lens were given a major edge over Les Parisiens. As per Madein Foot, roughly 95 per cent of the stadium was occupied by Lens supporters, while PSG fans were limited to only 1,850 tickets in the away end.

The atmosphere on match day resembled a routine home game for the northern side rather than a neutral-season showpiece. The LFP added to the controversy by allowing Lens' usual pre-match and half-time entertainment to remain part of the occasion.

LFP organisation faces major scrutiny

The arrangements were in sharp contrast to the 2023 edition of the competition between PSG and Toulouse at the Parc des Princes. On that occasion, the LFP made sure the match presentation was neutral and enforced a strict 50-50 split between the two groups of supporters. This latest organisational error has come nearly a year after earlier disputes involving a postponed fixture between PSG and Lens. The same report also said that LFP president Vincent Labrune and PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi were notably absent from Bollaert.

What happens next?

While Lens enjoy their victory over Les Parisiens, the fallout from the organisation of the match is set to continue hanging over the LFP. The decision to ignore neutral venue rules has revived debate over the governance and fairness of domestic competitions. The governing body is now under increasing pressure to explain its choice of host stadium for future editions.