Between Al-Ansar being crowned league champions on August 2 and the start of the Lebanese Football Cup on September 6, the clubs only had 35 days to separate two seasons. But this period was not all for rest, as it included finalizing contracts, arranging budgets, recruiting players, and launching preparations, which means that some teams returned to training before their players actually recovered.
The competition itself has changed. The 16 clubs were divided into four groups, each containing four teams facing off from one stage, with the first and second qualifying to the quarter-finals. Instead of exiting after one match, each team now plays at least three matches, before the start of the league on October 8. The formula gives clubs an opportunity to test their formations, but in practice it turns the cup into an official preparation stage played under the pressure of results.
The problem is not related to the number of matches alone, but rather to the lack of equal preparation conditions. A club that has maintained its technical staff and most of its players can enter the tournament normally, while other clubs begin the season while still completing their contracts or searching for training grounds and testing their foreign players. Here, the early start becomes an additional advantage for the more stable and financially capable clubs.
In contrast, the union option can be understood. Last season ended late, and Lebanese football operates within security and logistical conditions that make any postponement a risk, because the crowded calendar later may threaten the completion of the competitions. Therefore, it seems that the Lebanon Cup was placed at the beginning of the season to create a reserve space in the coming months, and quickly get the teams into the competition atmosphere.
The new formula may give the competition more matches and greater attendance, but it raises a basic question: Is the calendar set according to the needs of the players and clubs, or according to the need to end the season in any way? The answer will be revealed in the first weeks, especially through the level of matches, the number of injuries, and the ability of teams with less potential to keep up with the clubs that began their preparations early.
