Fixtures announced for opening weekend of Ligue 1 season

Paris, July 6, 2022 (AFP) - Christophe Galtier will make his bow as new coach of French champions Paris Saint-Germain against Clermont on the first weekend of the new season, the Professional Football League (LFP) announced on Wednesday.

PSG, who won the title for eighth time in 10 seasons earlier this year, unveiled Galtier on Tuesday as successor to Mauricio Pochettino.

Success in Ligue 1 is a given for the Qatari-owned club which boasts immense riches in its coffers and in the changing room which includes Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

Galtier enjoyed eight years at Saint-Etienne and four years at Lille, where he pinched the Ligue 1 title from under PSG's nose in 2021.

He will take his new team to unfashionable Clermont, who have a fraction of the resources of their Parisian opponents and finished just one place above the relegation zone, on August 6.

The season gets under way a day earlier when Lyon, looking to reboot with new recruits Corentin Tolisso and Alexandre Lacazette after a disappointing eighth-placed finish, host newly-promoted Ajaccio.

Marseille, who were runners-up behind PSG, are at home to Reims in the Sunday night game, while Monaco, who were third, will face Strasbourg.

Opening day fixtures

August 5

• Lyon vs. Ajaccio

August 6

• Strasbourg vs. Monaco
• Clermont vs. PSG

August 7

• Toulouse vs. Nice
• Angers vs. Nantes
• Lens vs. Brest
• Lille vs. Auxerre
• Montpellier vs. Troyes
• Rennes vs. Lorient
• Marseille vs. Reims