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Ex-Arsenal star walks off UCL final broadcast over PSG chants

Ex-Arsenal star walks off UCL final broadcast over PSG chants
Ex-Arsenal star walks off UCL final broadcast over PSG chantsMickael Chavet/ZUMA Press Wire / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

Samir Nasri has withdrawn from his punditry role for the Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal in Budapest after being targeted by abuse during the semi-final.

The retired midfielder was heavily insulted by PSG ultras in Munich, prompting him to step back from pitch-side coverage for the showpiece event.

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According to reports from Le Parisien, Nasri will no longer travel to Budapest, with broadcaster Canal+ submitting a revised accreditation list to UEFA that excluded his name. He had originally been scheduled for live punditry duties.

The final brings together two domestic champions, with the Parisians reaching the final after a dramatic 6-5 aggregate win over Bayern Munich, while Arsenal advanced with a 2-1 victory over Atlético Madrid.

"Yes, it’s true. But it’s part of the game as a former Marseille player to get insulted by Parisian fans… Even if I think they had other things to do, like celebrating qualifying for the final,” Nasri told L’Equipe,

 “What bothered me was that they insulted my mother... That’s not why I’m not going to Budapest for the final.

"It’s not the first time I’ve been insulted in a stadium, and it certainly won’t be the last. And if I let it get to me, I’d stop doing TV and I’d stop going to matches.

“It's PSG-Arsenal, it's better to have Robert Pires, who's a die-hard Gunners fan, and David Ginola, who's a die-hard PSG fan, than someone neutral like me on the panel. Arsenal is also my former club, but I don't have an extraordinary relationship with its supporters."

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