As pointed out by RMC Sport this afternoon, Marseille’s shock Coupe de France quarter-final defeat last night not only impacts the Phocéens‘ season, but is also set to have repercussions on the race for European spots their Ligue 1 rivals are involved in as well.
With Lens also out – the Artois club fell to the holders Nantes at the same stage, an Andy Delort double sealing it for Les Canaris – sixth place in Ligue 1 is now unlikely to be enough for a spot in the Conference League.
Were OM and Lens – second and fourth in the league respectively – to win the cup, the Europa League spot they would have gained would have been passed down the table, bumping the Conference League spot for the fifth-place team down too. This was the case last season, when Nantes’ title prevented sixth-place Strasbourg – who this year are fighting relegation – from going to Europe. A late charge up the table from one of the top-flight teams left – Nantes, Toulouse, Lyon – would be necessary, the latter of the three being the likeliest to reach those heights.
GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin
