'They insulted my mother!' - Former Arsenal star pulls out of TV coverage of Champions League final following chants by PSG fans

According to French publication Le Parisien, Nasri will not travel to Budapest for the highly anticipated Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal. Broadcaster Canal+ initially accredited the pundit for pitch-side coverage, but a revised list was submitted to UEFA without his name.

The final features two domestic league winners; PSG are the defending European champions and reached this stage following an epic 6-5 aggregate victory over Bayern Munich. Meanwhile, the Gunners progressed by beating Atletico Madrid 2-1 over two legs. Nasri opted out to avoid a repeat of the hostile environment he experienced during the semi-final at the Allianz Arena.

The PSG supporters have a passionate fanbase, and their ultras view the pundit primarily as a former Marseille player. Before his major Premier League moves, he made 166 appearances for the French side. This deep-rooted rivalry led to constant hostility in Munich, where ultras insulted him during the live broadcast. The stark contrast in how the broadcast team was treated highlighted the tension, as the crowd alternated between warmly applauding former PSG winger David Ginola and hurling vile taunts at his colleague. The relentless abuse continued long after the final whistle, leading to his decision to withdraw.

Nasri confirmed the reports to L’Equipe, saying: "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 (smiles).”

He added: “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,” he responded. "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."

The animosity reached its peak when sections of the crowd used megaphones to repeatedly shout "pay taxes" at him. This chant references an off-pitch controversy from March, when Les Echos reported that tax authorities seized assets worth approximately €5.5 million over an alleged unpaid debt.

The dispute centres on his residency status in Dubai, with authorities claiming he spent more than 200 days a year in France. To support their claim, investigators reportedly cited 212 food orders delivered to Paris via the Deliveroo app. The former player's lawyers vehemently deny the existence of this debt, but the damaging headlines fueled the aggressive taunts from the stands in Germany.

Despite stepping away from pitch-side duties, the 38-year-old will not be absent from television screens this weekend. Following Saturday's highly anticipated showdown, he will join the studio panel in Paris for post-match analysis. Working alongside Mickael Landreau, he will offer expert insights in a controlled environment, safely distanced from the hostile crowds.