Arsenal forced to change name of Emirates Stadium for Champions League clash with PSG

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.

The Gunners will look to secure their first Champions League win of the season as they host French champions PSG on Tuesday night.

Mikel Arteta's side drew 0-0 with Serie A side Atalanta in the first match of the new group stage format, while PSG beat La Liga club Girona thanks to a 90th minute own goal from goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.

However, fans watching will notice one strange detail in the match, the name of Arsenal's home stadium.

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Most fans would assume the match will be hosted at the Emirates, but the stadium will in fact be called a completely different name for the Champions League clash.

In European competition, the ground is simply named the Arsenal Stadium because of a little-known UEFA rule.

European football's governing body does not recognise stadium sponsors under their specific rules regarding sponsorships.

This also impacts fellow Premier League side Manchester City, with the Etihad listed under its original name of The City of Manchester Stadium for European games.

UEFA's sponsorship rules have also led to teams having to alter their names to comply.

For instance, Austria's Red Bull Salzburg are known as FC Salzburg in European competition and use a modified crest to adhere to the strict regulations.

Fans can watch tonight’s game on Discovery+ by signing up to a free trial of Amazon Prime.

The Emirates will use a different name on Tuesday night (Image: Alamy)

Arteta is hoping the home support at the Emirates, or the Arsenal Stadium as it will be known on Tuesday, will help his players secure a vital win in the first leg.

"We're looking forward to it. These are the kind of nights that we want to experience and want to have against an unbelievable opponent. We’re just ready for it," he said ahead of the match.

The Spaniard also admitted that he was eagely anticipating playing PSG, a club who he played for on loan for the 2001/02 season.

He added: "It was my first professional experience. It was an unbelievable time that I spent there and I loved every minute of it. I will always be grateful to the club and Luis Fernandez because he was the one who believed in me when I was 17, 18 years old.

"It was an experience that will stay with me forever, with teammates who helped me and shaped who I wanted to be as a player, and ignited something in me to become a manager in the future."