As part of the Paris Musketeers' European League of Football match, representatives of the New Orleans Saints - including linebacker Demario Davis - came to Paris.
A meeting was held at the US Embassy on Friday, which Flashscore France was able to attend. It was an opportunity to talk to Frederic Paquet, an important figure in the American football world in France.
Flashscore France: American football is becoming increasingly popular in France. Do you think an event like today's is unprecedented?
Frederic Paquet: "Frankly, yes. I don't think we've ever had an NFL team come and really do just that. In other words, to develop, to talk about American football, to talk about the flag, which is received at the American embassy. What's more, we now have the Musketeers, which didn't even exist three years ago. So, in fact, we've never had a 'combo' where we bring together the federation of a professional team in France and an NFL team to talk about the development of American football and flag football in France."
FF: Is the NFL an essential partner in trying to bring its vision and culture to France?
FP: "Yes, it's a legitimate partner. In other words, when it comes to American football, if the NFL supports what we're doing, it's much more credible. And then, it's a development power, it's a project power. That's what I was saying about the young Manceaux players who created a team and went off to play in Orlando. That's what the NFL can do for us. It's a power that we can't have on our own today."
FF: Could you tell us the story, for those who don't know it?
FP: "They were kids from the suburbs. There was an educational programme. And we asked them to come and play an activity they didn't know (flag football). They didn't know what it was. They played and had fun. They took part in the tournament organised by the NFL and made it all the way to the final. They won the final and were invited by the NFL to play in Orlando. Five years earlier, they were playing in their neighbourhood. So that's what the NFL can do for us. It's a power of attraction and resources that we don't have on our own at the moment."
FF: Is this something that can be replicated on different scales in France?
FP: "That's what we can see. We're working with the NFL. We already had this programme in France and we're rolling it out more and more to give as many children as possible the opportunity to go to Orlando or elsewhere. And we hope to play it with them, to send them to New Orleans."
FF: With the 2028 Olympics just around the corner, is flag football a goal or a benchmark? How do you see this event in three years' time?
FP: "The Olympic Games are a bit like the NFL. In other words, it's a way of raising awareness, increasing power and generating desire. So it allows us to develop a high-level programme for the flag. We hope this is just the first step. We hope that the IOC will renew the flag licence for 2032. So it's also an opportunity to perhaps send young, older athletes to Los Angeles. Initially, that wasn't possible. That's what American football and flag also create, the ability to forge links and create experiences that they wouldn't have had if they hadn't taken up this activity."
FF: Beyond the results, the idea is to try and bring the American sporting culture to France?
FP: "Everything that unites us, fans of American football, flag football and even cheerleading, that's the federation's objective. In fact, we have this culture, this attachment to American sports culture, this American lifestyle. So everything brings us together and, naturally, we're all drawn to the United States, or at least to a part of it. When I say the United States, I mean the American sporting culture, which is all around us."
FF: As far as our French players are concerned, Anthony Mahoungou has joined the Paris Musketeers in 2024. Do you think the new generation looks promising?
FP: "We have Marcelo, who is also promising. We've got a few French players, we've got a few young players who are in university leagues. That's why the Musketeers are so important, because they're in that intermediate stage before a move to the NCAA or even the NFL."
FF: It's something that French American football didn't have before, is it the missing link?
FP: "Absolutely. It's the missing link in the culture that we, at federation level, have with our elite clubs and our clubs, even our grassroots clubs, to train players. But at some point, there was an intermediate stage missing with the NCAA and the Musketeers can take us through that stage."