Will Hatem Ben Arfa get a Ligue 1 winner's medal this season? | OneFootball

A campaign has begun on social media to get Hatem Ben Arfa another Ligue 1 winner’s medal.

Ben Arfa hasn’t made a single appearance for Paris Saint-Germain since featuring in a Coupe de France clash with Avranches on 5 April 2017 and recently confirmed his nightmare stint at the newly crowned Ligue 1 champions will finally be coming to an end this summer.

But unlike many other leagues, you only need to have played one minute of Ligue 1 action over the course of a season to be eligible for a title winner’s medal and a number of supporters have begun pleading with PSG boss Unai Emery to give Ben Arfa a run out between now and the end of the season for that very reason.

On Monday, the hashtag #HatemChampion began trending on Twitter but when asked about the campaign during a press conference on Tuesday, Emery gave the idea a very short shrift.

“Hatem has known the situation since the start of the season and was reminded about it during the transfer windows,” the Spaniard told reporters.

“He decided to stay with us for the rest of the campaign and we must respect that. However, in the end it is me who makes the decisions and I pick, as well as play, the players that I believe are best.

“Am I sad for him? There are 14 players who can play in each match — that is football.

“With the club there has been clear communication with him about his role, and he must respect that decision.”

PSG clinched the title with a 7-1 victory over Monaco at the Parc des Princes on Sunday evening and still have five games to play between now and the end of the season.

But it appears the 31-year-old former Lyon and Marseille star won’t be adding a sixth league winner’s medal to his collection.

“There is no player who has trained with his teammates all season but not yet worn the shirt at least once,” Ben Arfa’s agent Michel Ouazine told 20 Minutes.

“I would be surprised [if Ben Arfa was played], but I can dream — even if I believe more in Father Christmas than in this happening.

“It would be extraordinary from PSG and not only in terms of their image, but is that logic there?”