He was previously insulted by fans
TV expert resigns from job at Champions League final
Updated on May 28, 2026Reading time: 2 minutes
Samir Nasri skips a job and reports insults from PSG fans. However, according to his own statement, the incidents are not the main reason for his absence from the final in Budapest.
Ex-professional Samir Nasri will not accompany the Champions League final between Arsenal FC and Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday as a TV expert for the French broadcaster Canal+. The former national player of the “Equipe Tricolore” withdrew after PSG fans insulted him badly in the semi-final against FC Bayern. However, he did not cite the incidents as the main reason for his decision.
The Frenchman explained to the newspaper “L’Équipe” about the insults from the PSG supporters: “Yes, that’s true. But as a former Marseille player, it’s just part of being insulted by the Paris fans… Even if I think they had better things to do, for example celebrating reaching the final.”
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And further. “What bothered me was that they insulted my mother.” At the same time he made it clear: “That’s not the reason why I’m not going to the final in Budapest.”
In his opinion, other experts would be a better fit for the game: “It’s about PSG against Arsenal – it’s better to have Robert Pirès, a die-hard Gunners fan, and David Ginola, a die-hard PSG fan, in the group than someone like me, who is neutral.” Speaking about his connection to Arsenal, he said: “Arsenal is also my former club, but I don’t have a special relationship with the fans.”
Nasri: “It certainly won’t be the last time”
The former midfielder played a total of 125 games for the Gunners between 2008 and 2011. But his connection to Olympique Marseille is even closer. Nasri came from his youth there and played 166 times for the club in four years. There has been a great rivalry between Marseille and PSG for years, which is why Nasri is still seen as an enemy by Paris supporters.
