Stop misconceptions! The maximum capacity of the Parc des Princes does not exceed 47,929 places, as indicated by the official documents concerning the enclosure. On match nights, when the stadium nestled between the Porte de Saint-Cloud and the Porte d'Auteuil is full, it receives more than 50,000 people, if we add the 3,500 workers who work in very busy areas. various.
The players, of course, are at the center of the arena, surrounded by an increasing number of staff. Security, the media, reception staff, vendors of all kinds are added to the event. We spent an evening in the corridors of the Park to meet different actors. Whether they are at the edge of the lawn like the gardener or the cameraman, or blind like the security guard, each of them lives the match in a unique way, torn between the meeting, the electric atmosphere of the match and its mission of the day.
"Let people remember what they ate"
Mehdi Corthier, chef at Saint-Clair caterer
“The lounges for which I am the chief represent 3,500 meals in a Ligue 1 match and 3,800 meals in the Champions League. I develop the PSG offer from A to Z. We have about fifty different fresh products on each evening. The idea is that people say to themselves: well, I saw a good game but they also remember what they ate. It is important to link the two.
Some do not come specifically for football. We have a lounge, the Concorde, which offers a sit-down meal with 450 covers, a high-end starter, main and dessert menu, with sought-after products and food-wine pairings, topping and tableware as in a starred restaurant. In each lounge, there are also activities with cooks cutting up, we make beef ribs, lobster…
We are working at 70 the day before the match on the production for PSG. In the morning, I am in control at 7:30 am. During the meeting, my job is to make unity, to see if nothing is missing and if everything is consistent in quantity and in quality. Then, I turn between the salons where about fifty cooks and a hundred people in the dining room officiate. After the match, I stay at the Concorde lounge. We finish around 1 am. The next day, generally, I am at rest and I can no longer walk! "
"I look more on the field than the players"
Jonathan Calderwood, PSG gardener
"People think we are busier than we really are on match nights!" What we do on the day of the match itself is the final preparation of the field: the aesthetics for the television cameras, achieving the perfect cutting height and watering for the players. Real maintenance is done between matches.
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During the match, unfortunately I watch the pitch more than the players. Because of the investments in clubs, the players' salaries, the importance of the lawn is incredible: how slow or fast it is, its rebounds… I am anxious, about the performance of the field as much as for the result and for injuries that could be related to slips or the like.
I take a look at the weather, but it becomes less important due to the build quality. The land is laid on 95% sand. There are 3% synthetic fibers that strengthen the lawn. Fifteen years ago, we prayed that it wouldn't rain, but that's no longer a problem. Unless you have a tornado ...
The match ends at 11 p.m. My team and I work until 2:30 a.m. The first thing to do is to vacuum the ground, to clean it of the lawn debris raised by the crampons. If you don't, you can have diseases or an organic layer that makes the ground slippery. "
"We find cutters, adjustable wrenches, screwdrivers ..."
Edwin Lepers, security guard
“I am in charge of pre-filtering and safety palpation on the Boulogne turn side. In the evening, I have to palpate around 500 people. In 15 seconds, we must carry out a full palpation: the head, the neck, the arms, the hands, the legs, the ankles… We look for prohibited objects, which could be dangerous for the public: cans, sharp objects, smoke bombs, narcotics ...
There are a lot of things! Smoke bombs, firecrackers or narcotics. But also cutters, adjustable wrenches, screwdrivers ... People get out of work! It may be a simple oversight. During the match, we stay at the access doors, we are there to open them in the event of an evacuation.
We don't see anything at all of the match! But we hear it through the public, and finally we know everything, when Paris scores or concedes a goal. In this case, it is suddenly calm or it hisses. I like to feel things thanks to the public. I also happened to provide safety back to the field and it's great to experience the match through the expression of the spectators' faces! "
"Customers like to talk to the hostesses"
Sonia Moreira, salon manager
“We are 23 box managers and salons at the Parc des Princes. The Louvre salon that I manage welcomes 240 people. We have a catering and service team of ten people, including a bartender, a catering chef, as well as 6 hostesses who welcome people and guide them with a smile.
I'm here to manage the little hiccups, manage and know who to turn to if I have a problem. The clientele is demanding, and rightly so. Places are quite expensive in the living room, so you have to be neat or at least do everything to make sure everything goes well. In my living room, the public is very friendly, very open. There are famous people, whom I will not quote.
During the match, we prepare the room and the gifts. We have the images of the match on the screens, and fortunately, because I know when the match is going to end to put everything in place. I was already a supporter of PSG because I am Parisian. It's good to know the club, the players. Hostesses are asked to keep themselves informed of team and player news.
Customers like to talk to the hostesses, ask them for advice on the prediction contest. Kids love being asked who their favorite player is. We also have a little attention for customers who celebrate their birthday, for example. The idea is to make them want to come back and that they keep a lasting memory of their evening. "
"My position is quite jealous"
Bruno Vildé, dit Bozo, cameraman on the edge of the field
“I am part of a device of 12 to 30 cameras, following the matches. I am placed along the sideline. My camera, the steady cam , is equipped with a stabilizer and weighs 25 kg, distributed over harnesses. The vibrations are damped. I've been doing this since 1996 and since 2003 on football.
We look up all the time to see what's going on outside the camera, for example to spot an injury. You have to be very careful. The director, who speaks to us in the helmet, does not see everything. We must always be ready for the shot to go on our camera and know the expectations of the director. If there is a goal on the other side, for example, I know that I have to film the keeper's reaction, then do a tracking shot on the audience. If we know that the goalkeeper is not reactive, we turn directly to the public.
You have to be focused. The pressure is mainly technical, if it is windy, if it is raining, make a blurred image ... At this place, we perceive things that we do not see on the air, we can feel the atmosphere, hear some bird names. My position is quite jealous. "
"Activity decreases if the results are less good"
Christophe Mekzine, store manager behind the Paris grandstand
“This outlet is only open on match days. The rest of the time, I work at the shop opposite the Park. Each match night, we see more than 1000 customers in the evening. In terms of sales, the jerseys are at the top. The craze for jerseys, scarves and hats is quite impressive.
Since the World Cup, Mbappé has been leading the flocking. After the victory against Real Madrid, we also had a lot of sales with Gana Geye, Di Maria, Marquinhos, who had made a big match. We can feel the mood of the supporters depending on the results and there is a small drop in activity if the results are less good.
We perceive the fervor, we are at the foot of the Park. We have a small screen here, in the corner behind the boxes. It is directly connected to the giant screens of the stadium, so we can see the match until the 70th or 75th minute, but then, they announce the next meeting ... For the last quarter of an hour, we only see the match to the sound of the Park. "
"During the match, we wait ..."
Victoire, responsible for a refreshment bar
“I am a student in applied mathematics. I have been working at the Park since this year. I organize the point of sale, I place each team member at their task: in the crate, in the kitchen ... We are a fortnight and we sell 1500 hot dogs and burgers throughout the evening.
As soon as the doors open a maximum of people consume, and there are even more people at halftime. We have a withdrawal system, with the objective that customers wait only a few seconds. In this way, there is not too much stress.
During the match, we wait and arrange the point of sale. We have screens in the gangways, we are at the heart of the match, or rather at the pericardium level! We hear screams. You are right next door, you see the supporters. It's enough for me, otherwise you buy your place! "
3,500 workers at the Parc des Princes
- Security: 1100 people (outside and in the stadium: entry controls, stewards, video surveillance, etc.)
- Catering: 700 people (bars for the general public, dressing rooms and lounges)
- Media: 500 people (journalists, television broadcast teams)
- Reception of lodges and lounges: 330 people (hostesses, organizers, concierge)
- Services for the general public: 225 people (ticket office, orientation outside and in the stadium, various services)
- Technical staff of the Park: 80 people (gardeners, maintenance and upkeep agents)
- Medical services: 65 people (doctors, civil protection, etc.)
- Players and staff: 80 to 100 people
- Shops: 50 sellers.