Arsenal will face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final but Samir Nasri will not be in Budapest for the fixture
13:06, 28 May 2026Updated 13:24, 28 May 2026
Samir Nasri and David Ginola of Canal Plus
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Samir Nasri has spoke about his decision not to attend the Champions League final between Arsenal and PSG(Image: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Former Arsenal star Samir Nasri will not be in attendance as a pundit for the Champions League final as he opens up on past abuse he has received from Paris Saint-Germain fans.
The Gunners will take on PSG in the final in Budapest on Saturday night as they look to win their first-ever European Cup.
Mikel Arteta’s side booked their spot in the final at the Puskas Arena in Hungary after beating Atletico Madrid in the semi-final.
Arsenal will be hoping to defeat PSG, who won the competition last year for the first time in the French club’s history and beat Bayern Munich in their semi-final.
Nasri has previously worked as a pundit for Canal+ in their Champions League coverage this season, including the semi-final tie between PSG and Bayern Munich.
The former Arsenal star made 125 appearances for the Gunners from 2008-11, before making a move to Manchester City, where he made a further 176 appearances.
Nasri joined Arsenal from PSG’s fierce rivals Marseille, and the 38-year-old has now spoken about his decision not to be a pundit at the stadium for the Champions League final.
Instead, Nasri will be in the studio working for Canal+, and opened up on the abuse he received from PSG fans during the semi-final clash against Bayern.
“Yes, it’s true. But it’s part of the game as a former Marseille player to get insulted by Parisian fans,” Nasri told L’Equipe.
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“Even though I think they had other things to do, like celebrating qualifying for the final. However, that’s not why I’m not going to Budapest for the final.
“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 set. Arsenal is also my former club, but I don’t have an extraordinary relationship with its fans."
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He added: “When I was a player, I got insulted too, even on opposing pitches. What bothered me was that they insulted my mother, even though, well, you've qualified for the final, you celebrate with your players!
“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 quit TV and I'd quit going to matches.”