Paris Saint-Germain: In Paris it smells of Champions League final

Already at eight o’clock there is only one topic in the Bar-Tabac on the BAR-Tabac this Friday: It is the “J-1”, the day before the Champions League final, Paris Saint-Germain plays against Inter Milan in Munich. “PSG faces the biggest evening in its football history,” says Franck, putting his tiny espresso cup back and forth on the comptoir. “The game could change everything.” Correct, complemented by Claude. “This time you will pack it. And then it goes off. Then we celebrate like 1998 at the World Cup!”

It gets loud outside, the garbage disposal drives up, a troop street sweeper in neon yellow dungarees comes in, five café and a question: “Where do we look at the victory, boys?!” In addition to espresso, the barman now taps the first beer, the football experts oracles. Coach Luis Enrique has formed a completely new team, enthuses Claude. Dilated the egos, strengthened the young talents – then he has to cancel his lecture, the others sing: “Ousmane! Dembélé!” For the second time in its history, PSG is in the final class. It is the crucial title that the ambitious club is still missing.

Paris Saint-Germain, the city and the fans: In the past few years it was not exactly a passionate romance. You can find true football culture in Marseille, Lens or Lyon – but definitely not in the capital, is a common prejudice. Since PSG was taken over by Qatar in 2011, the club has been a symbol of millions of investor football: From now on it was about turning the rather mediocre local association a global brand. Stars like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Neymar, Messi or Mbappé were bought, their radiance should polish up the emirate’s image. Paris, the capital of freedom and human rights, is degraded into a marketing tool in this business, according to the criticism.

“The Parisians are only fans of success today,” smaum Nadzt, who has now also taken their place in the Bar-Tabac. “If PSG wins, everyone thinks it is great. You are not interested in the rest of the time. And in the Banlieue, the kids can’t even afford a stadium ticket. What are the ones with this pink -free club for snobs?” There is no identification with the association that this is the main problem of PSG: “I prefer to look rugby.” But Nadia’s conversation partner does not quite agree. “There is now a really good atmosphere in the Prinzenpark,” says Claude. Coach Enrique, he stays, had brought back the sports spirit at PSG in his almost two years. And the organized fans of the “Cup”, the “Collectif Ultras Paris”, also went into it enormously.

There was a first impression of true fan enthusiasm on May 7th. The Parisians won against Arsenal and moved into the Champions League final: Autocorso on the Champs-élysées, bright red Bengalos in the city center-it was almost moreost of than on New Year’s Eve. Last Tuesday, a gigantic banderole fluttered on the Bir-Hakeim bridge in front of the sparkling Eiffel Tower for the capital association: “Born to shine, Paris will shine !!!” A little greeting from the Ultras before departure to Munich.

A few additional flat screens will be screwed in front of the British or Irish football pubs in the Pigalle outdoor district this Friday, and the weather should be hot. Street dealers sell flags and jerseys from Donnarumma, Dembélé or Barcola. Meanwhile, the police are preparing for the event with gigantic security measures: around 5,400 emergency services were mobilized, significantly more than in the semi -finals. There should be no fan zones in the city center-but there is a gigantic public viewing in the Prince Park Stadium, in the area of ​​which the fans would be considered as much as possible. In 2020, when PSG lost the Champions League final 0-1 against Bayern, there had been heavy riots in the city.

This time everything gets different: this day you hope not only at the bar of the bar tabac. The victory in Munich would be a national event. So far, only a French club has won the Champions League, Marseille in 1993. The rival of all people from the south, which the hearts of fans rose. In Paris you want to show that you can do it too. That the club is more than a financially equipped prestige object of the Qatarers.

In the event of a victory, there will be a one-hour parade on the Champs-Élysées for the team next Sunday, then a reception with President Emmanuel Macron. “We want to win and write history,” says Claude at his counter. “For PSG, for Paris and for all of France.” He should speak from the soul of many fans.