Annecy’s relegation to National has been confirmed during the board meeting of the French Professional League (LFP), according to a report from L’Équipe.
The Savoy side had challenged the French football authorities to arrange a 21-club Ligue 2 for next season following the decision to not have the Bordeaux vs Rodez game replayed. Rodez were declared winners of that matchday 38 game by the League’s disciplinary committee after a Bordeaux ultra had shoved Rodez’s goalscorer to the ground. Bordeaux’s appeal in front of the Comité National Olympique et Sportif Français, France’s highest sporting authority, has been dismissed. Les Girondins reluctantly took notice of the decision and confirmed they would play in Ligue 2 next season.
The decision to give Rodez a default win had implications on both ends of the Ligue 2 table. Bordeaux fumbled the opportunity to leapfrog second-placed Metz in the standings whilst Annecy fell to 17th place, courtesy of Rodez’s win. Annecy and Rodez engaged in a bitter war of words, the former accusing the latter of “elaborate cheating.” The Savoy side’s final resort was to request a 21-club Ligue 2. The decision would have meant a 42-matchday long season with five relegations instead of four. The TV rights money would also have been split into 21.
The League said no and justified its decision by saying everything has been done by the book in this case, meaning Rodez would remain in Ligue 2 and Annecy would go down in National.
GFFN | Bastien Cheval
