The key facts

  • The PSG — Lyon match was moved from Sunday 20:45 to Monday 20:30 at the request of the Paris police.
  • Around 70,000 security personnel are being deployed in France over the weekend, with partial curfews announced.
  • The rescheduling coincides with the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London; ten PSG players are on the 30-nominee list.

Match rescheduled at police request

The French Professional League (LFP) announced the rescheduling of PSG's home match against Lyon, which had been planned for Sunday. According to the league, it 'took note of the police order banning the game from being held on Sunday at 20:45 (19:45 GMT)' and decided to hold the match on Monday at 20:30. The decision was made at the request of the Paris police, which is reallocating resources amid preparations for a new wave of protests in the capital and across the country.

Context of the protests and security measures

Riots broke out during nationwide protests over the rising cost of living; a week ago, according to AFP, one of the most serious outbreaks of urban violence in recent years occurred during demonstrations. The authorities imposed partial curfews in parts of Paris and other cities. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced on Friday the deployment of about 70,000 security personnel over the weekend and warned of calls circulating on social media for violence and looting. A number of Paris museums, including the Louvre, will close on Saturday, and the Art Basel Paris fair — the capital's largest annual art fair — will close two days early due to the risk of protests.

Conflict with the Ballon d'Or ceremony

The rescheduling creates a problem: the match now coincides in time with the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London on Monday evening. Ten PSG players are among the 30 nominees for football's most prestigious individual award, including last year's winner Ousmane Dembélé. A year ago, PSG already played on the same evening as the ceremony: their match in Marseille was postponed by one day due to a storm.

Other schedule changes

The NFL match between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at 14:30 (13:30 GMT) is to go ahead as planned. The first NFL game in history in France will take place at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, on the northern outskirts of Paris. Earlier this week, the Ligue 1 match in Toulouse between the local team and Troyes was moved from Saturday to Sunday; Ligue 2 second-division matches have also been shifted this weekend at the police's request.