The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) have confirmed they will help support Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs financially following the cancellation of the season with a state-guaranteed loan to cover lost television rights money.
Despite initial plans to resume the campaign in June, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe's announcement last week that no sporting events in France - even those held behind closed doors - would be permitted until September due to the coronavirus pandemic signalled the end of the initially suspended 2019-20 football campaign in the top two tiers of domestic football.
Runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain were subsequently awarded their seventh Ligue 1 title in eight years after the final standings were determined on a points-per-game basis, with PSG, Marseille and Rennes qualifying for the Champions League, Toulouse and Amiens relegated and FC Lorient and RC Lens both promoted from Ligue 2.
Lyon - who missed out on European qualification altogether as a result of the season ending early - said they were considering legal action, while Amiens have now launched a petition to "demand justice" and ask the LFP to reconsider their decision over relegation and instead expand the number of Ligue 1 teams in 2020-21.
The decision to end the season early will hit clubs financially due to a loss of revenue from broadcasting rights, but that will now be covered with a Government-backed loan.
"At a meeting on May 4, the LFP's general assembly adopted a resolution allowing the LFP to contract a state guaranteed loan (PGE) from its banking establishment," the LFP said in a statement on Monday.
"Thanks to this loan, the LFP will be able to pay Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs all of the sums still to be collected for audiovisual rights for the 2019/2020 season.
"These sums cover the last two instalments of audiovisual rights for the 2019/2020 season, respectively initially scheduled for April 5 and June 5, 2020 and will help support the cash flow of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs."
