The NFL says the New Orleans Saints will face the Pittsburgh Steelers as scheduled at the Stade de France on October 25, even as Paris continues to see riots and civil unrest.
In a statement issued Sunday night and reported by AFP, the league said: “Preparations continue as scheduled for NFL events and the game at Stade de France next Sunday. We continue to work closely with local authorities and partners on all operational and security matters. We are also providing the two clubs with regular updates. There’s been no disruption or impact at league sites.”
The contest will be the NFL’s first regular-season game played in France. It comes as leftist protesters have taken to the streets of Paris and other French cities, with unrest including cars set on fire along the Canal Saint Martin on October 17. French President Emmanuel Macron has called for calm.
According to AFP, the Saints plan to fly to Paris immediately after facing the New York Giants in New Jersey on Sunday and will practice in the French capital through the week. The Steelers, who played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, intend to train at home and arrive in Paris only 24 hours before kickoff.
The Saints have publicly backed the league’s decision to proceed. Greg Bensel, the team’s senior vice president of communications, told NOLA.com: “We concur with the NFL’s statement and are planning to play the game.”
“In addition to working closely with the NFL, we have also maintained daily security updates with our security partners in France. Members of our football operations staff and internal security team have been on the ground in France for the past few days, and there has been no disruption or impact at any of our team sites.”
The game adds Paris to a growing list of international cities that have hosted NFL regular-season games. The league has staged 62 regular-season games outside the United States, including in London, Berlin, Munich, Madrid, São Paulo, Mexico City, Toronto and Dublin.
