by German club Fortuna Düsseldorf made headlines this year by trialling free entry at selected home games this season, but France’s Paris FC have since topped them. From the beginning of November, all of the clubs’ league matches – which include the men’s and women’s teams – can be attended for free until the end of the campaign.
At the time the club’s president, Pierre Ferracci, described the initiative as an effort to make football more “accessible”. Perhaps more urgently, it is seen as the answer to an “operational issue” for the club – low attendances at the Stade Charléty home ground are “one of our weaknesses”. The 20,000 capacity stadium, part of a multi-sport complex located in the south of the city by the main curvy road, has been owned by the club since 2007. The men’s team draws around 4,000 spectators per game.
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According to Ferracci, immediate losses during the campaign were worth around €1m (£860,000) – a figure he hopes to offset by bringing in new sponsors as well as increased food and drink sales on match days.
The scheme has attracted new support for the men’s team and the women’s section which have been more successful. The effect was immediate – 13,472 turned up to watch the men’s Ligue 2 home game against Bordeaux in November, the team’s best crowd since 2015.
But with Paris FC looking to step out of the shadow of their super club neighbors – with Middle Eastern backing of their own, from Bahrain – it’s the women’s team and their recent success that is pushing for new fans. Since Paris FC did not fully adopt the side in 2017 – having previously won six league titles as Juvisy – he has quickly become an integral and visible part of the club’s identity.
The Women’s Champions League match against Real Madrid last week was an early indication of the potential success of the scheme. Although the game was not part of the free-ticket initiative due to Uefa regulations, the cut-price ticket scheme attracted 10,693 spectators – more than double the previous record.
The team managed to pull off a game worthy of the occasion with goals from Julie Dufour and captain Gaëtane Thiney leading within the first six minutes. Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie saved a penalty from Olga Carmona, although the Spanish side pulled one back through Caroline Møller in the second half. Paris FC were successful, however, and put their first points of the European campaign on the table.
Thiney, who was named by Uefa as the player of the match, led his festival lap of honor around the stadium, thanking the fans for the large crowd. The veteran praised the “incredible energy” of the crowd, who told Le Parisien: “It’s great to show a big club like Real Madrid that we, Paris FC, can draw almost 11,000 people for a women’s game. I think even the Real players were happy to play in front of that many people.”
The manager, Sandrine Soubeyrand, pointed out that her players were “emotionally invested in bringing people to the stadium”. She said: “They don’t just want to play football, they want to take part in the development of women’s football. They are committed. To host 10,000 people is a success for the whole club.”
At the derby against Paris Saint-Germain the following weekend the attendance was lower – the Sunday 9pm slot and freezing temperatures would not have helped, on top of the fact that PSG’s men’s team were playing at the same time. However, the attendance of 4,002 was a significant increase on the usual figure for a major event. Around 2,400 turned up for the league game against Lyon at the start of November, a 6-1 win, just before the free ticket scheme came into effect.
The hosts enjoyed a quick start against their cross-town rivals as Thiney converted a penalty four minutes in. PSG equalized early on with a spot kick through Sandy Baltimore, before Marie-Antoinette Katoto scored their final winner just before the break. .
Despite some second half heroics from Nnadozie to keep them in the game, Soubeyrand’s side were unable to draw level. Despite the result, Paris remain in second place, three points ahead of PSG with Lyon eight points clear at the top of the table.
Moving the Goalposts spoke to some of the fans at the derby and Christophe, a native of Lyon who now works in Paris, is a regular at Charléty. He praised Paris FC for the work they do to “democratize women’s football”, saying the team is more “accessible” than their rivals. “For example, you always see Gaëtane Thiney coming over to thank the fans at the end of the game, players like Clara Matéo also come over,” he said.
The game also won over a number of first-timers – Sandie, who had previously watched the odd Paris FC match on TV, was not down to the stadium. Despite the defeat, she intends to come back again, having won from the lively atmosphere and the show on the field. However, she points out that the free-entry scheme cannot last forever: “It would be nice if fans were contributing in some way as well.”
It remains to be seen whether the initiative translates into sustainable long-term growth, beyond the big games. Despite a steady year-on-year increase, attendance figures for the French women’s top flight still lag badly behind their English and German counterparts, with an average of just 841 games last season. It is hoped that Paris FC’s scheme can boost numbers, at least in the French capital. Opening the gates of the stadium to all will, in any case, strengthen the club’s credentials as a more heavenly alternative to the bright lights of the Parc des Princes.
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Returning to action this autumn following a year’s absence due to a previous cruciate ligament injury, PSG’s Marie-Antoinette Katoto has struggled for form so far this season. She was a good winner in the derby at the weekendHowever, it shows that the French international is on the right track to return to his terrible efforts.
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In the latest edition of Women’s Football Weekly, Faye Carruthers is joined by Sophie Downey, Anita Asante and Chris Slegg to discuss Spurs’ north London derby win and moments of the season so far.
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