German club Fortuna Düsseldorf made headlines this season when they trialled free entry to certain home matches, but France’s Paris FC have since led the way. Starting from the beginning of November, all league matches of the club’s men’s and women’s teams can be watched free of charge until the end of the campaign.
At the time, club president Pierre Ferracci described the initiative as an attempt to make football more “accessible”. Perhaps more importantly, this is also seen as a response to the club’s “operational problem”; The low attendance at Stade Charléty’s home ground is “one of our weak points”. The 20,000-capacity stadium, part of a multi-sport complex located in the south of the city, next to the main ring road, has been used by the club since 2007. The men’s team draws around 4,000 spectators per match.
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According to Ferracci, immediate losses over the course of the campaign will be worth around €1 million (£860,000); Ferracci hopes to make up for that figure by bringing in new sponsors and increasing food and beverage sales on match days.
The program provided new support for both the men’s team and the more successful women’s team. The effect was immediate; In November, 13,472 people came to watch the home match against Bordeaux in the men’s Ligue 2; this was the team’s best attendance since 2015.
But as Paris FC tries to emerge from the shadow of its superclub neighbor with Bahrain’s Middle Eastern support, it is the women’s team and their recent success that is driving new fans. Considering that the team that had previously won six league titles as Juvisy was only fully adopted by Paris FC in 2017, this team has quickly become an integral and prominent part of the club’s identity.
Last week’s Women’s Champions League match against Real Madrid was an early indication of the plan’s success. Although the match was not part of the free ticket initiative due to UEFA regulations, the discounted ticket system still attracted 10,693 spectators; This was more than double the previous record.
The team showed a performance worthy of the occasion, taking a commanding lead within the first six minutes with goals from Julie Dufour and captain Gaëtane Thiney. Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie kept out Olga Carmona’s penalty, although the Spanish side pulled a penalty back through Caroline Møller in the second half. Paris FC persevered though and put their first points of the European campaign on the board.
Thiney, who was selected as the player of the match by UEFA, rose to the leadership. festival While taking a lap of honor around the stadium, the fans were thanked for their impressive participation. The veteran praised the record-breaking crowd’s “incredible energy” and told Le Parisien: “It’s great to show a big club like Real Madrid that we, as Paris FC, can attract around 11,000 people to a women’s match. I think even the Real players are excited to play in front of so many people.” He was happy.”
Manager Sandrine Soubeyrand noted that her players were “emotionally invested in bringing people to the stadium.” She added: “They don’t just want to play football, they want to take part in the development of women’s football. They are determined. “Welcoming 10,000 people is a success for the whole club.”
Attendance was lower for the derby against Paris Saint-Germain the following weekend; Playing at 21:00 on Sunday and freezing temperatures wouldn’t have helped, plus the PSG men’s team was playing at the same time. The attendance of 4,002 was still a marked increase from the usual figure for a major fixture. Approximately 2,400 people came to the league match against Lyon at the beginning of November; Just before the free ticket scheme went into effect, it was a 6-1 defeat.
The home side made a similarly fast start against their cross-town rivals, with Thiney converting a penalty within four minutes. PSG equalized soon after through Sandy Baltimore’s penalty kick and Marie-Antoinette Katoto scored the winning goal just before the break. .
Despite some heroics from Nnadozie in the second half to keep them in the game, Soubeyrand’s side could not find the balance. Despite the result, Paris remains in second place, three points ahead of PSG, while Lyon remains top of the table, eight points clear.
Moving the Goalposts spoke to some fans at the derby and Lyon native Christophe, who now works in Paris, is one of Charléty’s regulars. He praised Paris FC for their work in “democratising women’s football” and said he found the team more “accessible” than their rivals. “For example, you always see Gaëtane Thiney coming after the match to thank the fans, players like Clara Matéo also come,” he said.
The match also won favor with some first-time players; Sandie, who had previously watched the Paris FC match on television, had never been to the stadium. Despite the defeat, he plans to come back again due to the lively atmosphere and show on the field. However, he points out that the free entry scheme cannot continue indefinitely: “It would be good for the fans to contribute in some way.”
It remains to be seen whether the initiative will translate into long-term sustainable growth beyond big games. Despite the steady annual increase, attendance figures in the French women’s top-flight league remain well behind their English and German counterparts, averaging just 841 per game last season. The hope is that Paris FC’s plan could lead to a surge in numbers, at least in the French capital. Opening the stadium’s gates to everyone will, in any case, strengthen the club’s reputation as a more modest alternative to the bright lights of the Parc des Princes.
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