Lens Wins Trophee des Champions Amid Venue Controversy
Lens opened their season with silverware and a storm. A 1-0 win over PSG delivered the Trophee des Champions to the Sang et Or, but the celebration has been drowned out by a furious debate over how – and where – the showpiece was staged.
Florian Thauvin struck the only goal, enough to topple the champions and ignite Stade Bollaert-Delelis. Lens then dug in, seeing out the victory despite playing for a long spell with a man less. On the pitch, it was a statement. In the stands, it was something else entirely.
A “neutral” final in a home fortress
The LFP billed the game as a curtain-raiser on neutral ground. Instead, it handed Lens what looked and felt like a home game.
The governing body chose Bollaert as the venue, dropping the match straight into one of France’s most fervent cauldrons. According to Madein Foot, around 95 per cent of the seats went to Lens supporters. PSG’s allocation? Just 1,850 tickets in the away end.
The result was predictable. The atmosphere resembled a regular Ligue 1 night in the north rather than a balanced national showcase. Chants, colours, noise – all overwhelmingly in Lens’ favour.
The LFP didn’t just accept that reality. It leaned into it. Lens’ traditional pre-match and half-time entertainment stayed in place, reinforcing the sense that this was the hosts defending their turf, not two clubs meeting on equal terms for a domestic trophy.
Stark contrast with last year’s edition
The setup jarred even more when held up against last season’s Trophee des Champions.
In 2023, when PSG faced Toulouse at the Parc des Princes, the LFP went out of its way to strip away any home advantage. The match presentation was neutralised, and a strict 50-50 distribution of tickets between both sets of fans was enforced. Same competition, very different approach.
This time, there was no such balancing act. The decision to let Bollaert be Bollaert has been branded a major misstep, another organisational error landing on the LFP’s desk less than a year after tensions over a postponed PSG–Lens fixture.
Adding to the sense of unease, both LFP president Vincent Labrune and PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi were reported as notable absentees from the stadium. For a flagship domestic event, their non-appearance only fuelled the feeling that all was not well behind the scenes.
Trophy for Lens, questions for the LFP
Lens will not apologise for celebrating. They beat PSG, they lifted the Trophee des Champions, and they did it in front of a crowd that roared every tackle and chased every clearance. For the club and its supporters, it was a night to savour.
For the LFP, it was something closer to a warning shot.
By bypassing the principle of a neutral venue, the governing body has reopened long-running arguments about governance and fairness in French football. Critics are already asking what this means for the integrity of domestic competitions when the showpiece that launches the season so clearly tilts towards one side.
The pressure is now squarely on the LFP. Its next move on host stadiums for future editions of the Trophee des Champions will not just be a logistical choice – it will be a test of how seriously it takes the idea of a level playing field.
