Chloé Lagadou, edited by Romain Rouillard
48 hours before the clash between Olympique de Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain at the Vélodrome stadium, the capital’s players trained in front of 33,000 people this Friday at the Parc des Princes during a session open to the public. An event that had not been organized for 11 years.
The Parc des Princes vibrated this Friday afternoon. No match on the program but Paris Saint-Germain training open to the public, for the first time in 11 years. Nearly 33,000 spectators took their places in the stands to see the Parisian players rehearse their ranges before going to challenge Olympique de Marseille on Sunday evening at the Vélodrome stadium.
On leaving the stadium, Parisian fans told Europe 1 of their joy at having been able to attend such an event. “The atmosphere was incredible. The Auteuil bend was incredible, they set the mood from start to finish”, develops this supporter, euphoric after seeing the Parisian stars up close, while regretting a notable absence. “We saw Mbappé, he came and from the start he was there. He cheered everyone on as usual. We also saw Marquinhos but Neymar, unfortunately, was injured so he wasn’t there. is a pity”.
A rapprochement between the stars and their supporters
“It’s cool. We feel that the club is starting to get closer to its supporters, it’s nice,” adds this other fan. It must be said that the relationship between Parisian fans and PSG players has been turbulent for several months. Sometimes irregular under the Parisian tunic, the Brazilian Neymar and the Argentinian Lionel Messi were at times heckled by the public of the Parc des Princes, despite their status as international stars.
But this Friday, the time was not settling scores between the two parties. “We really enjoyed it. There was atmosphere, the CUP (Collectif Ultras Paris) created the atmosphere and it was almost like an official match”, testifies to Europe 1 this supporter.
Two weeks after the defeat of PSG on the lawn of OM in the Coupe de France (2-1), it was essential to provide the players with the necessary support 48 hours before the revenge, scheduled for Sunday evening, in Ligue 1 this time. “I can’t wait for them to be mentally ready for Sunday’s game. Because that’s why we’re here today. To motivate them,” concludes this fan.