Udine was adorned with red and blue long before kicking off the European Super Cup, and for good reason: Paris Saint-Germain supporters have literally took possession of the city. This Wednesday, August 13, nearly 6,000 of them-an absolute record in the history of the competition-made the trip to push their team against Tottenham, despite the eccentric location of this city in northeast Italian, at the gates of Slovenia. Banners, jerseys, songs and flags: from the first hours of the day, the streets, the terraces and the squares already vibrated at the Parisian rhythm, transforming Udine into an annex to the Parc des Princes.
Worn by the recent coronation in the Champions League and the Club World Cup final, Parisian fans came with one idea in mind: see their club finally win the first European supercup in its history. The massive crowds, the electric atmosphere and the presence of a fan meeting point entirely dedicated to PSG at Parco Moretti are buying to give the city an air of celebration even before the ball begins to roll. “I admit that I did not know Udine at all before this match. The small squares, the terraces, the decorations in the colors of the Super Cup … it's magnificent. The organization is really fluid, between shuttles and fan zones, we are taken in hand from start to finish. We want to show the team that we are behind it for this season which can still be historic ”says AurĂ©lien. Udine has already been partying for several weeks.
Udine will be red and blue!
To channel this fervor and offer a gathering space worthy of the event, the club had installed its “fan meeting point” at Parco Moretti, open from 11 am to all ticket holders. This real Parisian HQ, thought of as a festive warm -up before the match, offers a full day of animations: introduction and presentation by Vincent Royet, musical shows, DJ sets, freestylers demonstrations, and even interventions by the former international JĂ©rĂ©my MĂ©nez, highly awaited by fans. A special “European PSG” quiz will be organized to test the football culture of the participants, while the broadcast of the film PSG – Inter will allow you to relive a great moment in the club's recent history: “Make this trip is a way to extend the party after the Champions League. We came in a group, we have already met Tottenham supporters in the streets and the atmosphere is super good child. Udine, it's small but it moves, and the fan meeting point from PSG to Parco Moretti, it's just huge to heat everyone before the match»Explains Karim who will be in the stadium tonight.
The programming, rhythmic almost minute per minute, alternated live music, sports performance and moments of discussion. After the official opening, the festivities will be linked: concerts, DJ set, freestyle performance at 1:30 p.m., film at 2 p.m., new musical show at 3 p.m., quiz at 3.30 p.m., Duel Jérémy Ménez against freestylers at 4 p.m., then a closing show before the collective walk towards the stadium at 5 p.m. The whole, placed under the sign of pre-match sharing and excitement, allows supporters to meet, sing, vibrate and make the soul of the Parc des Princes resonate in the heart of Friuli. “We have taken over 12 hours to get to the time, but frankly, it was worth it. Udine is super welcoming, people are smiling and we feel that the whole city lives for this event. After the victory in the Champions League, it was unthinkable for me not to be there to launch the new season with a first trophy ”says Lucas, present since Monday. The police chief, Pasquale Antonio de Lorenzo, mobilized around 1,000 agents, including 600 from other regions, to secure a very high risk match. The device includes deminers, rudely units and helicopters equipped with video and night vision systems.
However, such a crowd requires a millimeter organization to avoid congestion in this city of around 100,000 inhabitants. The municipality of Udine, UEFA and the police have set up a special device: free parking lots and dedicated shuttles to reach the stadium, direct links from the station, redeveloped taxis areas and traffic restrictions around the friuli. These measures aim to allow thousands of fans to converge on the match safely and in a good mood. In the streets, in the squares and even in the fan zones, the Parisian atmosphere already sets fire to Udine long before the referee whistles the start.
