PSG fans attend friendly match in Parc des Princes

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SHOWS:

PARIS, FRANCE (JULY 17, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF FANS OUTSIDE PARC DES PRINCES STADIUM AHEAD OF PSG FRIENDLY MATCH AGAINST WAASLAND-BEVEREN

2. FANS SHOWING TICKETS AND GOING PAST SECURITY WITH FACE MASKS ON

3. FANS WALKING TO SECURITY CHECK

4. FANS OUTSIDE STADIUM

5. FANS WEARING FACE MASK

6. VARIOUS OF FANS USING HAND SANITIZER

7. VARIOUS OF FANS OUTSIDE STADIUM

8. (SOUNDBITE) (French) PSG FAN, LUCAS POSE, SAYING:

"It's good, it shows that we are here. Abroad, with Barcelona, with Real (Madrid), we see La Liga without fans. Madrid's players won titles, but without fans, it just doesn't have the same flavour. But here, we'll have football again."

9. FAN WALKING PAST WEARING FACE MASK

10. VARIOUS OF POLICE

11. POSE AND FELLOW PSG FAN, ROMAIN DUCRET SHOWING THEIR TICKETS FOR THE MATCH

12. (SOUNDBITE) (French) PSG FAN, ROMAIN DUCRET, SAYING:

"It makes us go back to the stadiums. Four months, we've missed this so much. For me personally, I've missed this like crazy. It's going to be so great to come back. I think the Ultras (fans) will make some noise, things like that. It's going to warm players' hearts, because four months without fans, without anything, I think it will make them smile, they'll be glad."

13. FANS IN LINE

14. FANS OUTSIDE STADIUM

15. (SOUNDBITE) (French) PSG FAN, PIERRE HERVOIRBIAN, SAYING:

"I think it's a privilege for the players to finally be able to see their fans again. But it's not Ligue 1, it remains a friendly match. But I think it will do them good. I think it will push them to do their best."

16. VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF PARC DES PRINCES

STORY: Soccer fans streamed into a PSG's Parc des Princes on Friday (July 17), for the first time since France's coronavirus lockdown started in March, for a friendly match between Paris Saint-Germain and Waasland-Beveren.

The PSG-Beveren duel is the second match played by the Ligue 1 champions in France since stadiums were allowed to re-open to the public on July 11, following PSG's 9-0 demolition of Le Havre.

Stadiums lifted the measures, which were put in place in mid-March to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, but a maximum of 5,000 fans will be allowed in the arenas - a restriction that could be eased later in the summer with the new season due to start on the weekend of Aug. 22.

France is the only country among Europe's five biggest domestic soccer leagues to let spectators back into match venues.

It was also the sole one to have called off the season in April due to the pandemic, with PSG crowned champions.

PSG will play Saint Etienne next Friday (July 24) in the final of the French Cup.

(Production: Clotaire Achi, Ardee Napolitano)