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“Victory for French football” when fans return and witness PSG’s 9-0 defeat

football nations since early March." data-reactid="23">Le Havre (France) (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain played the second division Le Havre in a friendly Sunday not exceptional for the score of 9-0, but because it attracted the largest crowd for a game in one of the “Big Five” of Europe football nations from the beginning of March.

The French government relaxed the health protocols before the weekend to allow a total participation of 5,000, including players, journalists and staff, to the games and while the game in Le Havre was not the first to be played, the others only involved the lower club division.

For the Le Havre game, tickets, priced between 30 euros ($ 34) and 60 euros, sold out in six minutes.

football, sport in general," said outgoing Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu who was at the match." data-reactid="26">“It’s a win for French football, sport in general,” said outgoing sport minister Roxana Maracineanu who was at the game.

football in France can resume in a popular way, with more people in the stadiums. It is the only country in western Europe to be able to do this."" data-reactid="27">“I am delighted that football in France can resume in a popular way, with more people in the stadiums. It is the only country in Western Europe able to do it.”

Unlike Germany, England, Italy and Spain, France abandoned its championship season because of the coronavirus pandemic, but when the other four countries took over the leagues, they did it behind closed doors.

Although social spacing rules were in place, fans allowed themselves some freedoms once they were in the 25,000-capacity Stade Ocean on Sunday.

“It’s a bit like a return to normal life, even if there are some drastic conditions,” said Johan Vattier, president of Les Barbarians Havre, the club’s largest fan group.

“We don’t give a damn about PSG, this game is first of all a way to get back together with our team mates!”

“It is not easy for a group like ours to enforce the rules because we are used to cramming together, but we will try to respect them as much as possible,” he added.

“We want to start next season with fans on the pitch.”

Alan, 20, a student in Le Havre, who is a PSG fan, said it had been a dream to finally see his team in flesh and blood and had not thought about the health risk.

“When I saw it was Paris, I didn’t even think about it,” he said. “Playing games on TV is boring.”

On the field, Neymar and Mauro Icardi both scored twice and Kylian Mbappe once before PSG made 10 changes bringing the 5-0 half-time.

Pablo Sarabia, with two, Idrissa Gueye and Arnaud Kalimuendo scored in the first 15 minutes of the second half to complete the course while PSG started to warm up for some busy weeks in late July and early August.

“We are back! A friendly that looks like a final with a knot in the stomach,” Neymar wrote on Instagram before the kick-off.

Champions League campaign away to Atalanta on August 12." data-reactid="39">PSG is expected to play Saint-Étienne in the French Cup final on July 24 and Lyon in the French League Cup final on July 31, before resuming their Champions League campaign away to Atalanta on August 12.

Both French finals will be at the 80,000-seat Stade de France in Paris.

Maracineanu said that the attendance limit will be revised on 18 July and would consider changing the limit so that it was proportional to the size of the stadium.

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