"Le Parisien" points out that the Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal on May 30 will not have a dedicated fan zone set up in public areas of Paris.
The Socialist mayor of Paris had hoped to set up a public fan zone as early as the night Paris Saint-Germain advanced to the Champions League final, but the French Minister of the Interior quickly expressed concerns. The reason is that there are already a large number of major events scheduled for that day: there is a singer's concert at the Stade de France, a rapper's performance at the La Défense Arena, etc., as well as the French Open tennis tournament and a rugby match at the Stade de France.
The Mayor of Paris, Grégoire, quickly acknowledged this reality. He said on Monday morning: "For me, the safety of Parisians and spectators is the top priority. It must be admitted that with so many major events clustered on the same day, it is difficult to coordinate and deploy security forces at the same time."
Sources close to the authorities confirmed that after consultations, all parties reached a unified position in a responsible manner: there will be no public fan zone for the Champions League final in Paris.
In addition, the meeting also discussed follow-up arrangements. The Mayor of Paris still regrets the cluster of commercial private events, and said before the meeting: "My only reservation, and the only point I hope will be taken into account in the future, is that a large number of commercial activities are squeezed into the same day, making it impossible to open a free public fan zone."
He hopes that similar events can be avoided from coinciding to such a large extent in the future, so that citizens can have a space for public viewing and gatherings.
Sources familiar with the meeting revealed that all parties also discussed: in the future, if suitable events are encountered, mass leisure viewing venues will be set up in Paris as appropriate, and perhaps if the 2027 Champions League final is once again held here continuously, related arrangements will be considered.