President of the Paris Football Club since 2012, Pierre Ferracci has managed to stabilize the “second Parisian club” in Ligue 2 since the 2015-2016 season. This season, after a difficult start to the season and a relocation to Troyes for the club’s first four home matches, Paris FC has decided to offer free places. The first took place in November against Bastia. An operation which continued throughout the Ligue 2 season, ending in 5th place for the club from the south of Paris. Pierre Ferracci returns to Le Figaro on the successes of the project, but also the desire to leave the Charlety stadium as quickly as possible.

LE FIGARO – Hello president, Last November, during the first leg against Bastia, you launched free ticketing at the Sébastien Charléty stadium. How did you think about this project?

PIERRE FERRACCI. – We said to ourselves that we had to mark the occasion. The Charléty stadium is not a perfect venue for playing in Ligue 2. There is no good hospitality to properly receive supporters. We are far from the field, behind the athletics track and the jumping grounds. It is open to the four winds, it is very cold in winter, so something had to be done to attract supporters even with these constraints.

You also talk about football becoming less and less accessible…

Whether in stadiums or in front of television, football is becoming very difficult to follow financially. A Ligue 2 match has also become almost inaccessible, so we wanted to try this bet.

How do you compensate for losses?

Sponsors responded and appreciated the operation. Their support has been essential, but we are waiting for the start of next season to make a real financial assessment. We also wanted to develop a more VIP clientele and I would say that we managed to attract more people.

Also read “It’s the first time I’ve seen so many people in a year and a half”… Dive into Paris FC’s first “free” match

What about the crowds at the stadium? It is especially on this point that we can assess the success or otherwise of the project…

The number of spectators has increased considerably. In terms of volume, but also quality since there is a much younger, enthusiastic and engaged population among these new followers. We managed to increase the number of supporters, to retain them to have greater dynamism in Charlety.

How do you quantify it?

We are looking at a 35-40% increase in stadium capacity for Ligue 2 matches. This is very significant because we had communication problems. There is also the problem of no-shows, that is to say those who pay and do not come who must be corrected. On several occasions against Bordeaux and Saint-Etienne, we had to block the ticket office because we had reached our quota of free places.

Do you plan to continue the experience next season?

This is the trend, but there are things that we must manage better with experience, such as no-show management.

Have any French or European clubs closely followed your approach?

There are two Ligue 2 clubs and one from National who have approached our management. I am delighted that our experience is sought after in the field. This would mean that our vision of football and societal problems is shared.

Despite this, Stade Charléty still does not seem to be ideal for growing the club. Has the thought of leaving him crossed your mind?

Yes. We have identified certain solutions discussed with Paris City Hall. A few weeks ago, we started discussing with the Stade Français to play at Jean-Bouin from the 2025-2026 season. I think we can make an interesting pair with the Stade Français next to the Parc des Princes. But there are negotiations to be carried out, the city of Paris must also get involved. I remain cautious.

What does Stade Français, the stadium’s “main tenant” think about it?

In principle, they are open to discussing with us, even if we have to mix up the calendars, and that is not an easy thing. This poses other constraints, but the French stadium has been quite open to the question. There is also the problem of the synthetic turf, which will absolutely have to be changed if we were to play at Jean-Bouin.

We feel the desire to take Paris FC to a new level….

Our project is moving forward, but we must also make it progress gradually. The objective is above all to move up to Ligue 1 as quickly as possible, but above all to stabilize there. Moving up to Ligue 1 remains a privilege that comes from a lot of work. If we move up to Ligue 1, we don’t want to make the move. For that, the club must grow further and we must look for new financial resources.

Looking for new investors?

If we want to reach Ligue 1 and stabilize there, we also need to have more money. Obviously, working well, training well, recruiting well and playing well are some of the elements for success, but the financial aspect is an element that should not be neglected. The financial bar is getting higher and higher in Ligue 1.

Do you already have any leads?

Yes, there are several avenues. It would be both sponsorship, but above all a transformation of the club’s shareholding, which consolidates it and allows it to move forward.

Thinking about leaving the club?

I try to prepare the ground because I am not eternal. I set myself three years to hand over the baton, but it’s being prepared right away.

Who are these potential buyers? Are they foreign or French?

I would like this to be something close to our territory, but it is very difficult to find solutions in France, and we see that in Ligue 1. I am moving forward on three fronts at the same time.

Do you think this is essential for the future of the club?

It is especially Ligue 1 which is essential. In the capital, when we are in National, we do not exist, when we are in Ligue 2, we are barely beginning to exist. I have no doubt of filling Jean Bouin or Charlety if we were in Ligue 1. We have a competitor (Paris Saint-Germain) which has one of the best budgets in the world, but we also see that there is of the place next to it.

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