Between smoke and lacrymos, the crazy evening of PSG supporters without tickets near the Parc des Princes – Liberation

It is only 6 p.m., and Ilhame is already dazzled. Her phone raised to the Parc des Princes, she immortalizes a start of the evening that promises to be magical. She does not know it yet, but this Wednesday, May 7, her heart team, Paris Saint-Germain will qualify in the Champions League final. She came from Yvelines specially for the occasion with her little brother Imrane. For these two PSG supporters, it is impossible not to be there this evening.

However, the siblings do not have a ticket to cross the stadium grids. « For us it was still important to come in front of the stadium, to soak up the atmosphere, take advantage of the adrenaline of the match and exchange with other supporters« Smiles illegal. The 25-year-old engineer student imagines going back and forth between a coffee and the stadium grids, to celebrate the most beautiful actions with other fans.

Farmers and songs are heard when he dreams of his evening. A few meters from her, a group of supporters met. In a cloud of red and blue smoke bombs, they agitate their flags and declare their love at PSG with their usual hymns. CRS face them. The police headquarters announced it: no gathering is authorized near the stadium, and only ticket holders can approach the Parc des Princes. Despite this, the crowd starts and descends a street adjacent to the enclosure. All sing. The atmosphere is festive. Ultras bear their stretch scarves while children marvel at the fervor of Paris Saint-Germain supporters.

Matthieu and Elise observe the scene, smiles placed on her face. As Ilhame and his brother, the couple has no ticket for tonight. « I wanted to come and give voice, tells Matthieu. It is true that I would have preferred to be in the stadium, but it is still like to be there. ” Coming without having tickets, the young man already did it in 2020, when his team played in camera against Dortmund, At the very beginning of the Cavid-19 pandemic. He hopes that this evening’s match will end with a similar outcome: a PSG victory.

At 7 p.m., the crowd starts to run. « What happened? They started loading? ”. The CRS surround them. Several supporters try to free themselves by joining the surroundings of the stadium. The agents of the police block. « You don’t have a place? » So I let you go ”, shouts one of them. Rales are heard. Human traffic jam is created. In the midst of supporters, a man sneers: « How long are you going to block us? » We cannot leave, we are blocked! ”

« They are fucking us! ». The crowd is back. The festive atmosphere has disappeared. Residents of the neighborhood open their windows to give pans of milk to those who have become gas. Kenzo and Naofen sprinkle their eyes. « We just came to give voiceteenagers are sorry 15 and 16 years old. But this is disappointing. We were caught in noose. « 

30 minutes from the start of the semi-final, the bars are full. The fiery atmosphere of supporters without tickets has deported to it. Some irreducible fans are still resistant and always in front of the Porte d’Auteuil, an emblematic turn of PSG ultras. Like earlier in the evening, they sing in two -color smoke. The CRS observe them further, behind the safety grids.

Amir, Sosa and Evan, 17, are regulars. They regularly come in front of the stadium grids to support their favorite team. “We hope to be heard, to give support to players. We know they will win, because it’s Paris, it’s magic. « 

Whistle. Let’s go. Sitting on the sidewalks, the supporters gathered in small groups to watch the semi-final on their phones. The songs have given way to a religious silence. All are concentrated. « Your phone, leans a little, we are 36 on it »implores a supporter with Bastien, a fan of 24 -year -old PSG. The young man did not plan to watch the match on his small screen. « I wanted to take advantage of the pre -game atmosphere, then go to a bar, but there are too many people, everything is complete. »

After twenty minutes of play, the police evacuate the surroundings of the stadium again. Only seven minutes later, the street turns into a party. The voices embrace and the supporters jump into their arms. Fabian Ruiz has just scored the first goal of PSG.

After half-time, in bars around the Parc des Princes, we applaud. We shout. Hope is there. Paris retains her breath. The 71st minute is a release. « We are there! ». Supporters get up on the chairs, turn their jerseys, welcome without even knowing each other. Outside the coffee, supporters stick to the bay windows to celebrate this new goal. « We are in the final! » We are in the final! ” they exclaim, 20 minutes before the end of the game.

On a boulevard adjacent to the Parc des Princes, during game stops, supporters draw fireworks, convinced that their team will win. A crowd runs again. The tension with the police returns to the street. To escape, four fans took refuge in a restaurant: the Normans Alexandre, Gaëtan and Steven, accompanied by Manon, met earlier in the evening.

Originally, the three friends of Rouen thought of staying around the stadium until the start of the match to live the festive atmosphere thoroughly. « But at 7 pm, we got gas when we sang, Relates Steven. It’s been funny, because we had no escape. We wanted to be near the stadium to go back and forth and celebrate with everyone, but it degenerated. ” He says that a supporter drew fireworks and that the CRS replied. The police headquarters affirms that there has been no major incidents. « After that, we got off, and we landed here. »

These bad memories are finally quickly forgotten. PSG has won and is qualified in the final. Behind the restaurant window, several supporters take the road to the Champs-Elysées to celebrate the victory. For Gaëtan, no doubt: “For the final, we go back down to Paris! I even come in kangoo if necessary! ”.