Arsenal have been forced their change the name of the Emirates Stadium for Tuesday night’s Champions League group stage match against Paris Saint-Germain.
Arsenal aims to secure their first Champions League win of the season as they host French champions PSG on Tuesday night. Mikel Arteta’s team drew 0-0 with Atalanta in their group stage opener, while PSG won against Girona due to a late own goal by goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.
Interestingly, viewers will notice a peculiar detail: Arsenal’s home stadium will not be referred to as the Emirates during this match. Instead, it will simply be called the Arsenal Stadium, in line with a little-known UEFA rule that prohibits the recognition of stadium sponsors in European competitions.
This rule also affects other clubs, such as Manchester City, whose Etihad Stadium is listed as the City of Manchester Stadium for UEFA games. Similarly, Red Bull Salzburg is known as FC Salzburg in European matches, adapting their crest to comply with these regulations.
Fans can catch the match on Discovery+ by signing up for a free trial of Amazon Prime.
Arteta is counting on the home support at the Emirates—referred to as the Arsenal Stadium for this match—to inspire his players to secure a crucial win in the first leg.
“We’re looking forward to it. These are the nights we want to experience against an incredible opponent. We’re ready for it,” Arteta said ahead of the match.
The Spaniard also expressed his excitement about facing PSG, a club where he had a loan stint during the 2001/02 season.
“It was my first professional experience, and I had an amazing time there. I loved every minute of it. I’m always grateful to the club and to Luis Fernandez, who believed in me when I was just 17 or 18,” he shared.
Arteta reflected on how that experience has stayed with him, crediting his teammates for shaping his aspirations as a player and sparking his desire to become a manager.
