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Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly warned staff to expect major fan disruption during Sunday’s clash against Marseille.
There are even fears the grudge match could be abandoned over the treatment of Adrian Rabiot - and his mother - as he prepares to return to PSG for the first time since his bitter 2019 departure.
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PSG vs Marseille is known as ‘Le Classique’ - borrowed from Spain’s El Clasico - and is the biggest match in French football.
It’s the country’s fiercest club rivalry, not based on geography - around 500 miles separate the two cities - but on their individual success.
The two clubs are the most successful in France, sharing 21 Ligue titles between them as well as multiple major European honours, and it’s produced one of the most venomous fixtures in the continent.
But what makes Sunday’s clash even spicier is the return of born-and-bred Parisian Rabiot, who signed for arch nemesis Marseille in the summer six years after being booed out of PSG.
Rabiot has always been a polarising figure in France, having been widely criticised - including by the French Football Federation president - for refusing to be on the standby list for the 2018 World Cup after being left out of the main squad by Didier Deschamps, and notifying the manager of the decision via email.
There was never any denying his talent, having emerged as PSG’s next homegrown star and hailed as a future club captain under Carlo Ancelotti.
The midfielder was a dynamic presence on the pitch and brought quality to the side, but also developed a reputation for his poor attitude and difficult character.
It all turned sour for him in Paris after months of contract wrangling, which heavily involved his mother, Veronique, who also acts as his agent.
Rabiot refused a contract extension with the France giants in January 2019 and was dumped into the reserves.
It then got worse when he was spotted in a nightclub partying after PSG’s Champions League exit to Manchester United in March and then liked a social media post from Red Devils legend Patrice Evra celebrating United’s win.
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There was no way back for him after that.
With the summer transfer window approaching, Veronique Rabiot revealed her son had made a ‘firm and definitive’ decision to leave PSG and ‘buy his freedom’, saying his situation at the club had ‘totally deteriorated’.
He was linked with a move to Barcelona but ultimately joined Juventus in a free transfer. He stayed with the Italian giants for five years before moving back to his homeland… with PSG’s arch enemies.
As many noted, it was a typical Rabiot move.
His Marseille transfer rekindled Parisien hatred for the midfielder, leading to a potentially explosive meeting when the two rivals meet on Sunday and Rabiot is back in town.
According to French outlet L’Equipe, PSG sent a memo to club employers asking them to prepare for major disruption around the game and even warned it could be called off.
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A club source is quoted in the story: “We were asked to plan for the worst case scenario. The worst? A complete suspension of the match due to reprehensible chants or banners. Failing that we’re planning around a short interruption.
"It's especially Adrien's return that's worrying”, the employee added.
“The fans have been waiting for a while for the opportunity to welcome him in their own way. And we also know that his mother will be a target.”
Rabiot’s relationship with his mother, and her apparent hold over him and his career, was routinely a source of ridicule in the French press towards the end of his PSG career.
The game also has a history of violet scenes between the two sets of fans, with multiple arrests made around recent meetings.
A section of Marseille fans also ripped seats from the Parc des Princes stands in 2018, while the PSG team bus was smashed up by rocks and other objects thrown by OM supporters in 2015 as the players made their way to the Stade Velodrome.
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PSG have made moves to calm things down a notch ahead of their latest meeting.
The club has launched an awareness campaign in an attempt to stop offensive banners and chants being seen and heard at the match, citing the good behavior from both sets of supporters in their recent Champions League meeting with Liverpool.
A message sent to supporters on Wednesday read: “Parisians and English supporters have proven that respect in the stands transcends borders. Let’s show this Sunday that this respect also applies in Paris, inside the Parc des Princes.”
