Authentiks Paris were one of the most important supporter groups in the modern history of Paris Saint-Germain. Active from 2002 until 2010, they transformed an ordinary lateral section of the Parc des Princes into an organised and visually impressive ultra stronghold. Despite existing for only eight years, the group grew from four founders to more than 400 members and followed PSG through 419 matches.
The Authentiks were closely connected to the Virage Auteuil but did not actually stand inside it. Their home was Tribune G Bleu, next to Auteuil, where they developed their own identity, banner and organisation. Their position between a traditional end and the lateral stands made them a distinctive part of the Parisian supporter scene.
The Creation of Authentiks Paris
By the beginning of the 2000s, season tickets in the Virage Auteuil had become increasingly difficult to obtain. Several young PSG supporters therefore decided to settle in Tribune G Bleu, close to gate G21. Their intention was to carry the sound, colour and mentality of Auteuil into a section that had never possessed a powerful ultra presence. The group dates the beginning of its official activity to 30 January 2002. Its first members gathered in one of the grey stairways of the Parc des Princes, where, according to their own account, they lit sparklers during the winter and began discussing the creation of a new group. From this modest beginning, Authentiks Paris rapidly developed into an officially recognised PSG supporter association.
Establishing an ultra group in Tribune G was not easy. The section contained regular fans, occasional spectators and people who were not accustomed to standing or singing throughout an entire match. The Authentiks gradually changed its character by introducing continuous chanting, flags, two-pole banners, pyrotechnics and organised choreographies. In 2003, another association called Puissance Paris established itself in G Rouge. However, it was the Authentiks who achieved the greatest growth and influence in the section. Within a few seasons, their main banner had become one of the most recognisable sights at the Parc des Princes.
A Group Representing Greater Paris
Authentiks Paris were also known by the abbreviation ATKS and the nickname “les vachettes”. Among themselves, members often referred to the association simply as “the group”, emphasising the importance of unity and collective belonging. Their identity was built around PSG, Paris and the experiences shared in stadiums, buses, railway stations and away sections. Several internal crews and generations existed beneath the Authentiks banner, including Juniors Authentiks, Funky Group, Biberons and TFP. These were not separate associations but different components of the same organisation. They contributed to the group’s social life, humour, visual material and away-day culture.
The association also published a fanzine called Ganaderia. It featured travel reports, opinions, photographs and stories from the life of the group. The publication helped document an ultra culture that extended far beyond the matches themselves. The Authentiks described their membership as a reflection of Greater Paris. Students, workers, teachers, lawyers, firefighters, unemployed supporters and people from numerous cultural backgrounds stood together behind the same banner. Rather than being defined by a strict political position, the group presented itself primarily through its loyalty to PSG and the diversity of the Paris region.
The Relationship with Supras Auteuil
The closest relationship of Authentiks Paris was with Supras Auteuil 1991. Because the two groups stood beside one another, the more experienced Supras provided the Authentiks with advice about organisation, choreographies and leading a section. This relationship earned the Authentiks the description “little brothers of the Supras”. However, the Authentiks were never simply a Supras section. They maintained their own leadership, finances, membership structure, banner and style. Their rapid development allowed them to become an independent force while remaining closely connected to the wider Auteuil scene.
Together, the Virage Auteuil and Tribune G were sometimes informally described as the “VAG”. The presence of the Authentiks extended Auteuil’s atmosphere around the corner of the stadium and increased the visual impact of that side of the Parc des Princes. Flags were kept in constant motion, while chants from G Bleu reinforced those coming from behind the goal. The balance inside the stadium became more complicated after the dissolution of Tigris Mystic in 2006. Authentiks were increasingly identified with Auteuil during the worsening conflict with hostile elements associated with the Kop of Boulogne. The group’s solidarity with Supras Auteuil made it difficult to remain outside the confrontation.
Following PSG Everywhere
Away travel was one of the most important elements of the Authentiks mentality. During their period of official activity, members travelled by coach, train, car, van, ferry and aeroplane. The group was present at major European fixtures but also followed PSG to less glamorous domestic destinations during some of the club’s most difficult seasons.
Their own records mention journeys to London, Moscow, Athens, Prague, Budapest, Porto, Dublin and Bucharest. Domestically, the Authentiks travelled throughout France regardless of the opponent, competition or PSG’s position in the table. For the group, supporting the club was an obligation that did not depend on results. The Authentiks also established international contacts, particularly with the ultras of 1. FC Köln. Friendships developed with Wilde Horde and later continued with members of Coloniacs. Mutual visits and football tournaments helped these personal relationships survive beyond the group’s official dissolution.
The Conflict Inside the Parc
Relations between sections of the PSG support had deteriorated seriously by the end of the 2000s. Hostility between elements associated with Auteuil and the Kop of Boulogne increasingly moved beyond chants and banners. Confrontations took place around stadiums, on away trips and in the streets surrounding the Parc des Princes.
It would be inaccurate to describe every member of the two stands as a participant in the conflict. Both areas contained thousands of supporters with different views, backgrounds and levels of involvement. Nevertheless, informal factions and individuals created an environment in which violence became increasingly frequent and difficult for the established associations to control. The Authentiks were particularly exposed because Tribune G stood beside Auteuil and the group had a close friendship with Supras. Earlier attempts to remain separate from the conflict gradually became impossible. By 2010, the group had become one of the associations directly affected by the struggle between the two sides of the stadium.
The Events of February 2010
On 28 February 2010, serious violence erupted outside the Parc des Princes around PSG’s match against Marseille. Marseille supporters were absent from the visitors’ section, but rival PSG factions confronted one another near the stadium. Yann Lorence, a long-standing supporter associated with Boulogne, was critically injured and died on 17 March.
The tragedy marked the final collapse of the old supporter structure at the Parc des Princes. Authentiks, Supras Auteuil and Grinta later held a press conference to present their version of the events. They showed video footage which, according to the associations, demonstrated that a group from Boulogne had initially moved towards and attacked supporters outside Auteuil. The footage did not excuse the serious violence that followed, but it showed that the incident was more complicated than the simplified narrative initially presented. It also raised questions about the police operation around the stadium. Nevertheless, the French authorities had already begun preparing measures against several PSG supporter organisations.
Government Dissolution
On 28 April 2010, the French government officially dissolved Authentiks Paris under Article L.332-18 of the French Sports Code. Supras Auteuil and informal organisations associated with Boulogne were also dissolved. The authorities justified the measure by referring to incidents attributed to members of the associations. Authentiks appealed the decision before the Conseil d’État, France’s highest administrative court. On 13 July 2010, the court rejected the appeal, although its judgment contained an important distinction. It found that several earlier incidents included in the original decree had not been sufficiently established against the group.
The court nevertheless ruled that the events of 28 February constituted an act of sufficient gravity to justify dissolution. It referred to projectiles thrown at police officers and the participation of certain members in serious violence. The ruling concerned conduct attributed to some members and should not be interpreted as collective responsibility for every person who belonged to the association. Although Authentiks had already been dissolved in law, the group remembers the match between PSG and Montpellier on 15 May 2010 as its final night in the stands. This is why its own history covers the period from 30 January 2002 until 15 May 2010. During that time, the association had been present for 419 PSG matches.
The Plan Leproux and the End of an Era
The disappearance of Authentiks coincided with the introduction of the security programme commonly known as the Plan Leproux. PSG suspended traditional season tickets in Auteuil, Boulogne, G and K and introduced random ticket allocation. Supporters could no longer choose between the two ends, making it impossible for the former groups to reorganise in their usual locations.
The measures brought the traditional structure of the Parc des Princes to an end. Many former season-ticket holders boycotted home matches, arguing that thousands of ordinary supporters were being punished for the behaviour of a minority. Although confrontations around PSG matches declined, the organised atmosphere inside the stadium was also largely dismantled. Organised support eventually returned through the Collectif Ultras Paris in 2016. However, CUP should not be described as a reformation of Authentiks Paris. There may be personal connections between different generations, but Authentiks never officially resumed activity as an association.
The Bonds That Survived
The formal end of the group did not destroy the relationships created during its years of activity. In May 2012, former members gathered on a boat on the River Seine to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the group. The event demonstrated that the friendships and internal community had survived even without an official banner at the stadium. The Authentiks later established an online archive containing more than 2,500 photographs. It documents home displays, away sections, flags, pyrotechnics and countless moments from everyday group life. The archive offers one of the most detailed visual records of PSG’s supporter culture before 2010.
Authentiks Paris transformed Tribune G Bleu and proved that an important ultra group could develop outside the traditional stadium ends. Beginning with four founders, they grew into an association of more than 400 members whose banner travelled throughout France and Europe. Their history reflects both the creativity of the Parisian ultras movement and the internal conflict that ultimately destroyed its old structure.
The Authentiks banner has not returned to the Parc des Princes, and the association remains officially dissolved. Yet for those who belonged to it, the group was never only a name displayed on a railing. It was a community built through PSG, Paris, friendships, journeys and years spent together in the stands.