Paris will begin a crowded security weekend with one of French football’s biggest fixtures moved off Sunday, as Paris Saint-Germain’s home meeting with Olympique Lyonnais has been rescheduled amid planned demonstrations in the capital.
The Ligue 1 round-eight match at the Parc des Princes will now be played on Monday 26 October at 20:30 local time, rather than on Sunday 25 October. PSG are set to host Paulo Fonseca’s Lyon with both clubs positioned near the top of the table.
Paris authorities force calendar change
- Social protests were scheduled in France for the weekend, following violence during demonstrations on 17 October.
- With concerns over further disorder and pressure on available police resources, security authorities asked for sporting events to be rearranged.
- The Paris Police Prefecture prohibited PSG’s match against Lyon from taking place on its original Sunday date.
- French professional football authorities subsequently confirmed the switch to Monday evening.
The revised date creates an awkward overlap for the Paris club, with the Ballon d’Or ceremony also due to take place in London on Monday. Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are among PSG players in contention for individual honours, although injuries could affect their attendance at the gala.
Other French fixtures adjusted
The disruption extends beyond the capital as France prepares for a demanding weekend of public-order operations.
- Toulouse’s Ligue 1 fixture against Troyes has been moved from Saturday to Sunday.
- Montpellier versus Red Star, in the second tier, will instead take place on Monday.
- Saint-Étienne’s Ligue 2 meeting with Nantes has been pushed back by 45 minutes, moving from 19:00 to 19:45 local time.
Marseille’s scheduled Sunday game against Le Havre remains under scrutiny as authorities assess the security picture. The task is further complicated by the NFL fixture between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints at the Stade de France, another event requiring a substantial police deployment.
