The images of Liverpool fans crowded into the forecourt, blocked at turnstiles and for some pushed back with tear gas have gone around the world and put the French executive in difficulty, pointed out for this failing management before the World Cup-2023 rugby and the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

The context seems very different a week later for the authorities and the French Football Federation, accustomed to quieter evenings with the Blues, even with a sold-out stadium as planned for Friday.

"It's an extremely classic match as we have organized several times a year for 20 years", tempers Mathieu Hanotin, mayor of Saint-Denis, with AFP, adding that the device would be "normal" and that it has "already proven itself".

The Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin meets Thursday evening in Beauvau the prefect Didier Lallement and his services on the device which will be put in place Friday at the stadium, learned AFP from a source close to the file.

1,400 Danes expected

The transport of the public will be scrutinized when a strike is planned on the RER B, like last Saturday, the day of the final between Real Madrid and Liverpool.

Traffic had been slightly disrupted on this line serving the Stade de France, leading to a transfer to the RER D and line 13 of the metro, which fueled the mess.

Danish supporters during the match between Denmark and Finland at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen on June 12, 2021 Friedemann Vogel POOL/AFP/Archives

According to the FFF, an ordinary system will be put in place around the stadium with in particular a pre-security screening and the mobilization of 1,270 security officers to welcome the thousands of supporters, among whom 1,400 Danes are expected.

For the Blues, the Stade de France was beginning to become a distant memory.

The world champions have not attended the Dionysian enclosure for a year (3-0 against Bulgaria on June 8, 2021), when health restrictions had reduced attendance to 5,000 people.

The last crowded Stade de France for the Blues?

It was against Moldova (2-1) in November 2019 and against Turkey (1-1) a month earlier.

Meanwhile, the French sank at the Euro last summer, before recovering by conquering the League of Nations in the fall.

They launch the defense of their title with a streak of four matches in ten days, including the first against the team of Christian Eriksen, surprise semi-finalists of the last European Championship after overcoming the cardiac arrest of their N.10 at the start of the tournament.

Stephan replaces Deschamps

The interest of the meeting is increased tenfold by the reunion expected on November 26 in Doha in the first round of the World Cup-2022 between French and Danes, poured into the same group … as in 2018.

Coach Didier Deschamps, in white, accompanied by Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann during training at Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines on May 30, 2022 in France FRANCK FIFE AFP

The actors of Friday's shock present themselves there with "disparate" states of form, in the words of Didier Deschamps.

"There are seasons over, footballers on vacation, so it's always a special time," described the coach at the start of the week, bereaved and replaced by his assistant Guy Stéphan on the bench on Friday.

If Karim Benzema ended his season with Real Madrid only on Saturday, with the coronation in the Champions League, Pavard played his last meeting on May 8 with Bayern Munich (he remained on the bench the match after).

During the two weeks off, "I wanted to decompress while remaining professional, so I went to the Cannes Film Festival but with my physical trainer," said the central defender.

The holidays for French internationals will begin on June 14, the day after the last match against Croatia in Saint-Denis.

Before that, they will challenge the Croats and the Austrians on their land, June 6 in Split and June 10 in Vienna.

© 2022 AFP