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Paris Saint-Germain and Toulouse fans have planned to boycott the Trophée des Champions final next month, following the decision to hold the match at PSG’s home ground Parc de Princes (pictured).
The fans also made the decision based on frustrations over ticketing.
The clash has taken place abroad over the last 13 years, thanks to organisers Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP). It features the previous season’s Ligue 1 winners and the champions of the Coupe de France.
Games have been played in Montreal, Tunisia, Morocco, the US, China, Austria and Gabon. Last year’s final saw PSG beat Nantes 4-0 at Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv.
The Trophée des Champions final was originally due to be held at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand in August. However, the Thai organiser pulled out, with LFP considering Saudi Arabia or Qatar as hosts. Earlier this month, it was revealed that the match would take place at the 47,929-capacity Parc des Princes in Paris on January 3, 2024.
Following the news, Toulouse fans voiced their frustration over the decision.
In a statement, supporters group NVDRS said: “Since 2009, the Trophée des Champions has left France for countries far away for purely mercantile reasons. If the messed up organisation of this match in Thailand reshuffled the cards by leaving us with the hope that this trophy could be played in France, on neutral ground, with the presence of supporters from both camps, it was without count on the LFP.
“This match was finally scheduled at the last moment on our opponent’s home ground. How is it possible to claim to respect sporting fairness by choosing the PSG stadium to host the meeting and this in having knowledge of the two teams due to compete for the trophy?”
The statement added: “Since the opening of the ticket office, the information we receive has continued to change constantly, which does not reassure us.”
Toulouse fans were also unhappy with the price, with tickets set to cost €25 (£22/$28) instead of the usual €10 cap for away fans in the cup.
PSG supporters group, the Ultras Paris Collective, said they would also boycott the game.
A statement read: “The prices imposed by the LFP are unacceptable and go against our values and the defence of popular football, for the record the visitor tickets cost €18.50 for the [UEFA Champions League] match at Dortmund.”
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