Île-de-France grapples with security challenges for PSG-Arsenal champions league final fan zones

Football enthusiasts in Île-de-France eager to watch the PSG-Arsenal match for the Champions League final on May 30 will find no public fan zones in Paris, mirroring last year’s approach. The police prefecture has expressed reservations, primarily due to three major concerts scheduled simultaneously at the Stade de France, La Défense Arena, and the Accor Arena, which will heavily occupy law enforcement personnel. For those in the capital, a screening of the match on a giant screen is planned within the Parc des Princes, with tickets available from 19 euros. Local bars and restaurants are also expected to be buzzing with activity. Across the broader Île-de-France region, coordinating celebrations around this high-stakes match presents a considerable security challenge.

Discussions underway with regional authorities

Public fan zones for this final remain scarce. Currently, no fan zones have been announced in Hauts-de-Seine, where Prefect Alexandre Brugère has advised mayors against organizing them, to allow police forces to focus on security in Paris. In Seine-Saint-Denis, discussions are ongoing between the prefect and local mayors. Bally Bagayoko, Mayor of Saint-Denis, stated on May 14 via social media that “We also want the prefecture to guarantee us a certain number of measures that will allow us to secure the fan zones.” He also noted interest from community groups in proposing “popular, citizen fan zones”, which he intends to support, provided robust security can be assured.

Elsewhere, fan zones are confirmed for Trappes and Carrière sous Poissy. An event with a capacity of 8,000 spectators is planned at the Camp des Loges in Saint-Germain en Laye, the historic training ground of PSG. This enclosed venue offers easier security management compared to public spaces, especially with France still under a high-alert Vigipirate anti-terrorism posture. Organizing public events on open streets is “virtually impossible,” remarked Arnaud Péricard, Mayor of Saint-Germain en Laye. He emphasized that this security concern extends beyond football, citing the Fête des Loges, which now features cordoned-off perimeters and controlled entry, a stark contrast to its previous open-access format.

“It’s a failure”

For Master Cyril Dubois, a legal representative for the Ultras Paris supporters’ collective, football celebrations should still be able to take place in public spaces. “The fact that we can no longer create these popular events that bring people together without disorder, yes, it’s a failure, but above all, we’re not even trying to create fan zones in Paris anymore,” he lamented. Dubois further noted that “for the semi-final, there was no fan zone either, but we still couldn’t prevent troublemakers from coming.” Following the semi-final victory against Bayern, 127 individuals were arrested in the Paris metropolitan area. After last year’s final, 491 arrests were made, and tragically, two people lost their lives in Paris and Dax during the post-match celebrations.