Paris, Jul 10 (IANS): The 2020/21 season of the French Ligue 1 will start on August 22 and will conclude on May 23 next year, the French Professional Football League (LFP) announced on Friday. Lorient host Strasbourg on the opening weekend, while Lens are on the road at Nice.

Defending champions Paris St Germain will face Metz at home in their first match of the season on August 23, the second day of the first match day.

PSG had won their seventh top flight title in eight seasons when the league was suspended prematurely on March 13 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

An LFP vote sealed Amiens and Toulouse's relegation while Lorient and Lens promoted from Ligue 2 in their place.

The German Football League (DFL) also announced the start date for the 2020/21 season of the Bundesliga earlier in the day. The new season will conclude on May 22, 2021 while the German Cup will begin on September 30, 2020. Unlike the LFP however, the DFL is yet to announce a match schedule for the league.

The May 22 finish for the league allows enough time for the players to prepare for the postponed Euro 2020 which begins on June 11, 2021. The DFL said that there will be a winter break after the 13th matchday of the league (December 18-21) and the subsequent second round of the German Cup (December 22/23, 2020).