PSG match vs Marseille postponed hours before kick-off as 'heated discussions' take place

Paris Saint-Germain were due to take on Marseille in a Ligue 1 clash on Sunday evening. But the match has been postponed, with heavy storms expected in France's Bouches-du-Rhone region. And heated discussions reportedly took place as officials attempted to agree on a new date for the fixture.

PSG entered the weekend at the top of the Ligue 1 table after winning all four of their league matches this season. Marseille, meanwhile, have endured mixed fortunes in the early stages of the campaign after winning two of their first four Ligue 1 clashes. Roberto De Zerbi’s side will be aiming to rival PSG for the title this season after finishing second to the Paris giants last term.

Marseille is located in the Bouches-du-Rhone region in southern France, with the area on orange alert for rain, flooding and thunderstorms.

And Ligue 1 chiefs confirmed in a statement on Sunday afternoon, just hours before the match was due to kick-off, that the encounter had been postponed.

Following the postponement, there were heated discussions behind the scenes around when the match would ultimately be played, according to French football journalist Fabrice Hawkins.

The regulations stipulate that a match must be played a day later than originally planned if it cannot start due to bad weather.

And Marseille wanted the rules to be applied to ensure the match goes ahead on Monday, even though that day coincides with this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony.

A short time after the postponement was confirmed, Ligue 1 chiefs released another statement to announce that the match would indeed go ahead on Monday evening at 8pm French time.

This year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on Monday evening at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.

The award has been presented annually by France Football since 1956, with the Ballon d’Or considered the most prestigious personal honour a football player can receive.

Eight PSG players have been nominated for the men’s award this year, with Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha all eyeing the trophy.

Former PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who moved to Manchester City at the end of the summer transfer window, has also been nominated.

PSG have enjoyed a sensational year on the pitch, with Luis Enrique’s team winning the Champions League for the first time in their history back in May after easing to the Ligue 1 title. But the Parisians couldn’t get their hands on the Club World Cup trophy as they lost to Chelsea in the final of the competition in July.