French Media Rallies Behind L’Équipe After PSG Bans Reporters

French media agencies, including the AFP, have signed a petition demanding that Paris St. Germain reestablish “L’Équipe’s access to the club’s press conferences,” according to 20 MINTUES. L’Équipe claims that its journalists have been banned from attending conferences since the publication of a report that "hinted" that the club may need to sell Neymar or Kylian Mbappé to “avoid financial fair play sanctions.” In a joint statement, the agencies said, “The freedom of journalists to cover press conferences on sports, economy or politics is not negotiable. We demand that PSG reestablish L’Équipe’s access to press conferences as quickly as possible.” L’Équipe said in mid-December that one of its reporters was refused access to a club press conference and that others were “not allowed to ask questions on several occasions.” The agencies that have signed the petition include Le Monde, Le Parisien, RTL, Le Figaro, Les Echos and Mediapart (20 MINUTES, 12/23).