Lens Triumphs in Trophée des Champions Amid Controversy
Lens began their season with a trophy in their hands and a storm at their backs.
On the pitch, the story was simple enough. A 1-0 win over PSG in the Trophée des Champions, sealed by a decisive strike from Thauvin. The Sang et Or dug in, survived a long spell with a numerical disadvantage, and clung to their lead in front of a feverish crowd. On sporting merit alone, it was the kind of gritty statement victory that can ignite a season.
But the night’s football has been shoved to the margins by a much louder argument: how that match was staged in the first place.
A “neutral” final in Lens’ backyard
The Trophée des Champions is designed as a showcase on neutral ground. This time, the LFP took it straight to Lens’ home, Stade Bollaert-Delelis. That single decision has set off a wave of criticism aimed squarely at French football’s governing body.
Neutral in name, home in everything else.
Madein Foot reported that around 95 per cent of the stands were packed with Lens supporters. PSG, the defending giants of French football, were left with just 1,850 tickets in the away section. The result was predictable: the match-day experience looked and sounded like a standard home fixture in the north, not a balanced curtain-raiser between two of the country’s leading clubs.
The LFP didn’t just accept that atmosphere. It amplified it. Lens’ traditional pre-match and half-time entertainment remained untouched, giving the evening the full Bollaert treatment and leaving any sense of neutrality behind.
Stark contrast with last year
The comparison with the 2023 edition only sharpened the criticism. When PSG faced Toulouse at the Parc des Princes, the LFP went out of its way to strip the occasion of any home advantage. The presentation was neutral, the crowd split strictly 50-50 between both sets of supporters. A home stadium, yes, but a carefully managed one.
This time, the approach flipped. No neutral staging, no balanced distribution, and no attempt to dilute the home club’s identity on the night. For many observers, it felt less like an oversight and more like an organisational misstep that undercut the competition’s credibility.
The controversy also arrives with history attached. It comes less than a year after disputes over a postponed fixture between PSG and Lens, adding another layer of tension to an already delicate relationship. According to the same report, both LFP president Vincent Labrune and PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi were notably absent from Bollaert, an omission that only fuels the sense of unease around the event.
Trophy in hand, questions in the air
Lens will not apologise for celebrating. They beat PSG, lifted the Trophée des Champions and did it amid a wall of noise their players know well. For the club, it is a night to savour.
For the LFP, it is anything but.
By stepping away from the principle of a neutral venue, the governing body has reopened an old debate about governance and fairness in domestic competitions. Critics are already asking how future editions will be handled, and whether similar choices will tilt the scales again.
The pressure is now on the LFP to explain not just why Bollaert was chosen, but how it plans to restore trust in the format. The next decision on a host stadium will not just set a location; it will test the league’s credibility.
