The highly anticipated French league match between Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille, known as Le Classique, has been rescheduled for Monday night due to a forecast of severe weather, creating a direct conflict with the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris.
The postponement throws a wrench into plans for numerous PSG stars expected to attend the prestigious awards show at the Théâtre du Châtelet, possibly forcing them to choose between celebrating individual accolades and representing their club. Ousmane Dembélé,a leading contender for the men’s Ballon d’Or,is now among those facing a arduous decision,as is the rest of the nine-player PSG contingent nominated for awards.
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despite the scheduling clash,PSG coach Luis Enrique will be without Dembélé and Désiré Doué for the rescheduled match against Marseille due to existing injuries.
Organisers cited expected heavy storms in France’s Bouches-du-Rhône region, currently under an orange alert for rain, flooding, and thunderstorms, as the reason for postponing the match.
This year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony arrives with echoes of past controversies.Last year’s event was marked by Real Madrid’s absence,a protest against Vinícius Júnior not winning the award,which went to Manchester City’s Rodri. This year, PSG’s recent successes – lifting the Champions League in May and the European Super Cup in August – position its players as strong candidates, but the timing of Le Classique now threatens to overshadow the ceremony, albeit for different reasons.
