Arsenal vs PSG: Football Fans as Part of the Final

Five or even two years ago, such a final was difficult to imagine. Arsenal was a Champions League underdog—a club typically eliminated in the round of 16 or quarterfinals. PSG was the same. Kylian Mbappe’s dream of the Champions League final seemed more like a dream than a goal. Ironically, PSG won the PSG won the Ligue 1 last year without the superstars they were associated with Last year's win was a surprise: for Paris, PSG fans, and the new PSG forward from Georgia, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who had to replace Mbappe in the club, but in the end, replaced him in Kyky’s dream.

This year, the final is not between Champions League underdogs but between the defending champion and the Premier League winner. If Arsenal has begun achieving their long-term goals this season, why would they stop

We are here not to discuss football analytics but fan engagement analytics. Let’s explore the long history of Arsenal’s fans and a shorter but intense history of the Paris Saint-Germain fandom. The final between these two clubs is not just a match between eleven players and coaches but a rivalry among hundreds of millions of supporters worldwide.

PSG

Ici, c’est Paris !

Some British journalists describe French Ligue 1 games in Paris as more interesting for the fans and their shows, since Ligue 1 is not very competitive and PSG is almost the only leader. But today’s intensity in the PSG fandom is much less than it was 10 or 40 years ago.

PSG doesn't have a strong rivalry with any other French team; sometimes it is Olympique de Marseille, but it is not on the same level. OM rarely, if ever, join the Champions League. But inside the PSG fandom, there was competition. Or there used to be (many still doubt that the rivalry between leftists and right-wingers can disappear completely).

Anyone familiar with French football knows PSG had two groups of ultras. The first, Kop de Boulogne, or the Boulogne Boys, as the British call them, formed early, almost right after the club was created. In 1976, cheaper tickets and a rough new atmosphere at Parc des Princes helped Kop de Boulogne boost game attendance. They quickly became akin to new team members and a key part of the PSG experience. But soon they grew more aggressive and violent. While they initially increased attendance, fifteen years later, fewer people came to avoid trouble.

At the beginning of the 90s, everyone realised KoB were not just ultras but far-right. PSG needed another wing and got Supras Auteuil, thanks to Canal+, the popular French media that owned part of the club. Supporters who wanted to avoid danger got another section—the Auteuil Stand. While KoB were radical right, Supras Auteuil were liberal and represented the left wing. It was a simple solution that worked, but not for long. Their coexistence led to more violence, and by the early 2000s, Parc des Princes became truly dangerous. So the club officially disbanded both groups.

After several serious events in 2016, Collectif Ultras Paris, CUP, was born. They became an association with strict rules and memberships. This did not kill the stadium atmosphere but improved it. According to sources close to PSG, the association still includes many different groups; it is not homogeneous but very influential and actively involved in the club’s life.

Fan songs

• “Ô Ville Lumière,” set to the tune of "Flower of Scotland. This chant was created by the former KoB ultra group, Boulogne Boys.
• “Ici, c'est Paris”—by the way, the "Ici, c'est Paris" slogan was created by a former member of the ultra group Supras Auteuil. The club tried to buy rights to it, but then fans and officials decided to use it together without restrictions.
• "Allez Paris!", recorded by Belgian actress and singer Annie Cordy in 1971, the godmother of the team
• "Allez Paris Saint-Germain!" by Les Parisiens, 1977
• "Who Said I Would" by English musician Phil Collins

The best PSG tifo

They are good at it. It was hard to pick one. With the love and respect for the tifo with Belmondo that appeared before the game against Milan, we chose a Star Wars-themed one ahead of PSG's quarter-final match against Barcelona at the Parc des Princes in 2024.

The Star Wars music played in the stadium, and a tifo of Darth Vader donning a Barça scarf at the Boulogne stand, along with a message below it that read, "Fight the enemy, you must." Then, a tifo of Yoda, holding a red and blue lightsaber, appeared at the Auteuil stand. Underneath it was the following banner: "Win! For us, you must.”

The art didn’t help. Barcelona beat PSG 3:2 and advanced to the semi-final. But this year, with PSG being the champion of the UEFA CL and Barcelona absent, the Star Wars tifo looks like a great achievement.

PSG fan community's digital spaces

• PSG talk and other community podcasts
• PSG fans on TikTok
• PSG fans on Discord

Arsenal

C'mon, you, Gunners!

The Arsenal team was created in 1886, so the fandom of Londoners has a longer journey. There are four highest-league teams in London, but Arsenal's main rival is Tottenham Hotspur; it’s a north derby. The next London rivalry is with Chelsea, and they have a major derby.

Arsenal fans have always been critical, so Herbert Chapman created the term boo-boys for those who vocalised their dissatisfaction during games.

Since the 1980s, Arsenal fans have been called Gooners, derived from the team's nickname, the "Gunners" (from the logo). Their slogan sounds like C’mon, you, Gunners today.

Since 2002, Arsenal has had the highest share of non-white attending supporters of any Premier League club. This does not mean they avoided racist scandals, but it shows a high level of fan diversity.

As for ultras and groups, one of the most prominent is The Ashburton Army (AA), established in 2019, becoming noticeable in 2021. They often wear black and are located in Block 25 and Clock End. Still, as people are inspired by classic ultras, they have many problems with racism and, as a result, with the police.

AISA (Arsenal Independent Supporters’ Association) is one of the oldest and most traditional Arsenal fan organisations. They handle travelling, ticketing issues, dialogue with the club, fan rights, and often collaborate on fan displays and campaigns.

Arsenal’s LGBT+ supporters’ group is one of the biggest and oldest LGBT football fan groups in the UK. They are officially recognised by Arsenal. Also, among other very noticeable groups are Arsenal Women Supporters Club, REDaction, and Arsenal Supporters’ Trust (AST).

Fans' Songs

• "One-Nil to the Arsenal" (to the tune of "Go West")
• “Who's that team they call the Arsenal?”
• "Good Old Arsenal" (to the tune of "Rule, Britannia!")
• "We're the North Bank/Clock End Highbury".
• "The Angel (North London Forever)" by Louis Dunford

And as a bonus, here the old Arsenal team are trying to sing fan chants, but not too successfully 

The best Arsenal fans' tifos and memes

As a more classical team, their tifos are traditional. They usually show support for the team’s long history more than anything else. When demonstrating power, tifos display a gunner.

But what doesn't have limitations is Arsenal memes. We’ve picked our favourite.

• Trust the process—Arteta proved
• Top 4—a not-relevant meme anymore, but old Arsenal fans definitely remember what this phrase means,
• Wenger Knows—a legendary Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, made many decisions that fans and the club's owners didn't fully understand, but the Gunners knew that Wenger knew what he was doing. Or they hoped they knew!
• We are so back (and they really are!)

Arsenal fan community's digital spaces

• Arsenal Fan TV AFTV
• ArsenalVision Podcast
• Arseblog
• r/Gunners on Reddit with more than 700K embers
• Arsenal official X account—It is funny that Arsenal, as the older rival, is mainly on Twitter and YouTube, PSG is mostly on TikTok and Snapchat. 

Also, there were many legendary Arsenal community spaces, like arseweb, that are not available anymore, but the Internet never forgets!

***

This final promises to be outstanding. 
PSG has to win to finally rewrite the football hierarchy, end the farmer’s league jokes, and confirm their title. 

Arsenal has to win to confirm their elite status, redeem after decades, and prove that the Premier League season is not a coincidence but the result of a thoughtful strategy.

What kind of fan celebration will we see? Londoners or Parisians? Who will come out to celebrate that night: gooners? Or the whole world will say “Ici, c’est Paris”?