Amiens and Toulouse, which have been the object of ridicule and contempt because of their unseemly and desperate legal battles with the French football authority, are getting the last laugh. 

Late on Tuesday, France's highest administrative court announced that the Ligue 1 season would end early as planned but the relegations of Amiens and Toulouse to the second division would be suspended. 

The landmark ruling came as the French Football League (LFP) made the unprecedented decision to cut short the Ligue 1 campaign in April due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Paris St-Germain named champions and Ligue 2 sides Lorient and Lens promoted.

To date, Ligue 1 is the only one of Europe's five major leagues to cancel its season. Amiens and Toulouse, the biggest victims of this crisis, reacted furiously to the LFP'S controversial move and took the case to court, arguing that their relegation was "unjust" because there were "no statutes in place for such a scenario."

They insisied that it was an arbitrary decision considering the standings could have been different if the pandemic had led to the league shutting down earlier. However, their appeals were instantly rejected by a summary judge of the Paris Administrative Court. 

Despite the setback, the two Ligue 1 minnows didn't give up and defiantly appealed to the Council of State, France's Supreme Court. And then, the soap opera takes an unexpected twist. 

After weeks' deliberation, the court ruled that there was "no serious doubt as to the legality of the decision" to end the season prematurely. However, it suspended the relegation of Amiens and Toulouse, ordering the French league to "rethink the format of the 2020-21 season before June 30." 

The ruling could potentially lead to a 22-team Ligue 1 for the new season, an increase of two sides.  

The Supreme Court judge pointed out that the French league's board could not base its decision to demote the last two Ligue 1 teams on the fact that the agreement concluded with the French football federation (FFF) provided for a limit of 20 clubs. The judge added that the current deal with the FFF expires on June 30 and that a new accord will have to be signed.

The ruling also means that Lyon, who pursued legal action after they were denied a place in European competition next season because of the premature conclusion of the season, have to accept their fate.  

Earlier this month, Lyon's outspoken president Jean-Michel Aulas wrote a letter to French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe making the point that nothing had obliged the French authority to curtail the season so quickly, and that UEFA had not put pressure on national associations to set a deadline for the end of competitions. 

Aulas also threatened that the club will sue the French state for 800 million euros (906 million U.S. dollars) of potential financial damage should the court reject their plea to overrule Ligue 1's decision to end the campaign.  

Now, as they lost their appeal, another perfect storm is brewing for the French topflight.