German club Fortuna Düsseldorf made headlines this year by trialling free entry to select home games this season, but France’s Paris FC have since been led. Since the beginning of November, all club competition matches – both the men’s and women’s teams – have been free to attend 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 even more urgently, it is also seen as a response to an “operational problem” for the club – the low attendance at Stade Charléty’s home ground is “one of our weaknesses”. The 20,000-capacity stadium, part of a multi-sport complex located in the south of the city on the main ring road, has been occupied by the club since 2007. The men’s team attracts approximately 4,000 spectators per match.
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According to Ferracci, direct losses over the course of the campaign would amount to around €1 million – an amount he hopes to offset by bringing in new sponsors and increasing food and drink sales on match days.
The plan has brought new support to both the men’s team and the more successful women’s division. The impact was immediate: 13,472 people turned out to watch the men’s Ligue 2 home match against Bordeaux in November, the team’s largest crowd since 2015.
But while Paris FC look to step out of the shadow of their super club neighbor – with support from the Middle East, from Bahrain – it is the women’s team and their recent success that is attracting new fans. Given that the squad was only fully absorbed by Paris FC in 2017 – having previously won six league titles as Juvisy – it has quickly become an integral and prominent part of the club’s identity.
A Women’s Champions League match against Real Madrid last week was an early indication of the success the plan could have. Although the match was not part of the free ticket initiative due to UEFA rules, the cheap ticket sales program still attracted 10,693 spectators – more than double what they received in the previous record.
The team put in a performance worthy of the occasion as goals from Julie Dufour and captain, Gaëtane Thiney, created a commanding lead inside the opening six minutes. Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie kept out Olga Carmona’s penalty, although the Spanish side eventually pulled one back through Caroline Møller in the second half. However, Paris FC held on and put the first points of the European campaign on the board.
Thiney, named player of the match by UEFA, led a festive Lap of honor around the stadium, thanking the fans for the impressive turnout. The veteran praised the “incredible energy” of the record-breaking crowd, telling Le Parisien: “It’s great to show a big club like Real Madrid that we, Paris FC, are able to attract almost 11,000 people for a women’s competition. I think even the Real players were happy to play in front of so many people.”
The manager, Sandrine Soubeyrand, pointed out 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 play a role in the development of women’s football. They are committed. Receiving 10,000 people is a success for the entire club.”
The derby against Paris Saint-Germain the following weekend saw a lower attendance – the 9pm Sunday slot and freezing temperatures would not have helped, on top of the PSG men’s team playing at the same time. The attendance of 4,002 was nevertheless a clear increase on the usual number for a major match. About 2,400 people showed up for the league match against Lyon in early November, a 6-1 defeat, just before the free ticket scheme came into effect.
The hosts enjoyed a similarly fast start against their city rivals as Thiney converted a penalty on four minutes. PSG soon equalized with a penalty of their own through Sandy Baltimore, before Marie-Antoinette Katoto scored the eventual winner just before half-time. .
Despite heroics from Nnadozie in the second half to keep them in the match, Soubeyrand’s team failed to draw. Despite the result, Paris remain second, three points ahead of PSG, while Lyon are eight points clear at the top of the table.
Moving the Goalposts spoke to some fans of the derby and Christophe, born in Lyon and now working in Paris, is a regular at Charléty. He praised Paris FC for the work they are doing in ‘democratizing women’s football’ and said he finds the team ‘more accessible’ than their rivals. “For example, you always see Gaëtane Thiney coming by to thank the fans at the end of the match, players like Clara Matéo also come by,” he said.
The match also won over some debutants: Sandie, who had previously watched a single Paris FC match on TV, had never been to the stadium. Despite the defeat, she plans to come back, because she is convinced of the exuberant atmosphere and the spectacle on the field. However, she points out that the free admission program cannot last forever: “It would be good if fans would also contribute in some way.”
Whether the initiative translates into long-term sustainable growth outside the big games remains to be seen. Despite a steady increase year-on-year, attendances in the French women’s top flight still lag badly behind those of their English and German counterparts, with an average of just 841 per match last season. The hope is that Paris FC’s plan can spark a revival in player numbers, at least in the French capital. If anything, swinging open the stadium gates to everyone will cement the club’s reputation as a more modest alternative to the bright lights of the Parc des Princes.
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After returning to action this autumn following a year-long absence due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury, PSG’s Marie-Antoinette Katoto has struggled with form so far this season. Her well taken winner in the weekend derbyHowever, it shows that the France international is well on her way to returning to her devastating record.
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