Marseille star Dimitri Payet has hit back at Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas, who claimed that the whole Ligue 1 season should be forgotten following its suspension due to the coronavirus.
Like the other major European leagues, France’s top flight has been put on hold, with an indefinite suspension of activity until it is deemed safe to begin playing once more.
Aulas, whose Lyon side are enduring a particularly disappointing domestic season, lying ninth, came out strongly on Friday to call for the campaign to be wiped.
"The most logical thing would be to say we cancel everything and we start again on the situation at the start of the season," Aulas said in an interview with newspaper Le Monde.
"In any case, you have to look at what the regulations say. It is the only possible decision in this context.
"After the intervention of the president, I, as president of the Ligue 1 clubs, immediately asked the president of the FFF and the president of the LFP to make this decision.
"This was what was done democratically by bringing the office together."
Payet, meanwhile, has played a starring role as Marseille have climbed to second in the standings, lying six points ahead of third-placed Rennes and sitting comfortably in a position that would give them a return to the Champions League.
He made abundantly clear what he felt of Aulas’ suggestion in a Twitter post that included a screenshot of the OL president’s interview.
“But is he really serious here?” he asked. “He’s cracked! His temperature must be taken, quick! What’s the current league table? After 28 matches? Ah… OK, now I understand. It’s a good try!”
Payet was linked with a move back to West Ham in January, and ironically there have been calls from the London club’s vice-chairman Karren Brady to scrap the Premier League season much in the manner that Aulas is suggesting the Ligue 1 campaign be overlooked.
“As games in both the PL and in the EFL are affected, the only fair and reasonable thing to do is declare the whole season null and void," she told the Sun.