Clasico Postponed: OM Forces PSG and LFP to Bend

A Sunday Under the Storm

This Sunday was supposed to be a celebration, but it turned into a high-tension drama. Since the day before, the prefecture had been scrutinizing alarming weather forecasts: orange alert, heavy rains, thunderstorms, and risks of urban flooding. At 2 p.m., the verdict fell: OM–PSG canceled. In an instant, the Clasico shifted from the pitch to the League’s offices.

OM Brandishes the Rulebook

In this game of chess, Olympique de Marseille made the first move. The Marseille executives clung to article 548 of the competition regulations: when a match is canceled due to bad weather, it must be replayed the next day, except in extreme circumstances. By brandishing this rule like a trump card, the club locked down the negotiation.

For Marseille, no other option was acceptable:

• No Tuesday, too close to the trip to Strasbourg.
• No Monday afternoon, impossible for 65,000 spectators.
• No postponement to December, the calendar already overloaded.

PSG Tries, and Fails

On the other side, PSG tried to take advantage of the situation. With the Ballon d’Or ceremony scheduled for Monday evening in Paris, and nine nominated players, the club saw this timing as a humiliation. Its executives explored several avenues: moving the match to Sunday afternoon, playing Monday at 3 p.m. or 5 p.m., or postponing to early December. But nothing worked.

Faced with a prefect uncompromising on safety and an OM clinging to its regulations, Paris had no choice but to yield.

The LFP Confirms the Decision

In less than an hour, the LFP validated the postponement to Monday at 8 p.m. A schedule designed to respect the regulations, the safety of spectators, and, as much as possible, the media balance with the Ballon d’Or ceremony. The irony: this event meant to glorify Paris will take place in the Clasico’s shadow.

OM, Silent Victory

Without triumphalism, the Marseille club published a sober statement:

“Olympique de Marseille regrets that the conditions were not met to hold the match on Sunday evening, both for its players, for its mobilized and already present supporters, and for the full visibility of the event.”

But the facts are clear: OM imposed its conditions, defended its supporters, and enforced the rules.

First Round for Marseille

In this behind-the-scenes duel, Marseille has already scored a goal. Paris, forced to patch up its schedule, comes out weakened, while OM secures a symbolic victory before the kickoff itself.

The pitch will decide on Monday evening, but in the offices as well as in the supporters’ minds, the message has already been delivered: OM knows how to defend its interests against its greatest rival.