French clubs vote to maintain 20-team top-flight

PARIS (AP) — French league clubs voted to maintain the top division at 20 teams for the 2020-21 season, a move that ended Amiens' and Toulouse's hopes of avoiding relegation.

In a statement following the vote of its general assembly on Tuesday, the league said the resolution proposed by the administrative council was adopted by a 74.49% majority of ballots.

“The vote was held after a thorough examination of what was at stake in sporting terms in having a Ligue 1 with 20, 21 or 22 clubs and its impact on the fixture calendar of 2020-21 and the consequences for the health of the players," the league said. “The examination also took in the financial impact, the share of TV rights and the contractual repercussions with the Ligue 1 broadcasters."

France's highest administrative court this month suspended the relegations of Amiens and Toulouse to the second division, ordering the French league to rethink the format of the 2020-21 season before the end of June.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the league was canceled on April 30 with Paris Saint-Germain declared champion and Amiens and Toulouse relegated.

The demoted teams proposed a 22-team league next season, arguing their relegation was unjust because there were no statutes in place for such a scenario, and that it was an arbitrary decision considering the standings could have been different if the pandemic had led to the league shutting down earlier.

Their relegation is expected to be confirmed on Friday during the general assembly of the French Football Federation. The league will then adopt its match calendar for the 2020-21 season.

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