Olympic Games 2024 in Paris: with Marchand and Riner, but without Mbappe and Vembanyama, the inside story of the Panini des Bleus album

Clarissa Agbenenu, Rudy Gobert, Teddy Riner and Nikola Karabatic now have Panini stickers. On the occasion of the 2024 Games in Paris, Panini France, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, is publishing a previously unpublished album dedicated to the French Olympic and Paralympic teams. It contains 469 stickers, including 81 special ones. 80 pages of portraits of the 441 athletes who will wear the colors of the French team during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“In Panini’s history there have already been albums dedicated to the Games, but in a different interpretation there has never been anything around the French Olympic and Paralympic team,” emphasizes Isabelle Fillon, Marketing Director of Panini France. The cover, featuring the Rooster, the emblem of the united French team, has been carefully designed to include all the icons that represent Paris 2024.

“We had to make a choice”

There is no point in looking inside for all the future participants of the Games, in particular because of the number of stickers (in total, about 900 athletes will take part in the Games) and the calendar. Since the selection took place until the beginning of July and the album had to be printed in advance, Panini had to make a choice to create this album representing, above all, “the athletes on the way to Paris 2024.” In the end, some athletes may not come to the Games, others will come without having a sticker with them.

“This album was quite difficult to put together,” admits Isabelle Fillon. We wanted to combine Olympic and Paralympic disciplines within one lift. We hoped for optimal representation of all sports and this has been achieved. But we had to make choices, particularly depending on the closing dates. » The first photographs were taken in January 2023, the various federations cooperated, but they had to take into account Panini’s time requirements. Thus, each of them transported “40 to 50% of the personnel who were actually going to attend the Games.”

Panini had to narrow down the circle of athletes who agreed to be included in the album. It was also necessary to have photographs at the time of production. “We have a magnificent collection,” says Isabelle Fillon. A collection that will remain legendary, no matter what the sales figures may be. »

For Wembanyama, contract history

Felix Lebrun, a rising table tennis star, Kevin Mayer, who is still seeking qualification, and Leon Marchand are in good positions. On the other hand, no Antoine Dupont, who had not yet joined the French rugby sevens team when the album went into production. Victor Vembanyama is also absent, due to contractual and logistical reasons. At the time of the shooting, organized for the French national basketball team, the new NBA star was absent. So to get him, Panini would have to contact him personally, but Vembanyama has an individual contract with Panini’s rival.

Not Kylian Mbappe, whose presence at the Olympics is highly doubtful anyway, nor any male footballer. Again, for legal reasons and timing reasons. “By mutual agreement, we decided not to represent the French men’s national football team, but to devote two pages to the women’s team,” explains the marketing director.

The album aims, above all, to emphasize “the collective, not the individuals”, and also offers a lot of information, such as rules, anecdotes, the number of medals received since the first Olympic Games of modern times.

The album is on sale from April 2, 2024. Pack of 6 stickers: 1 euro; package to start a collection (1 album + 2 covers + 1 free cover): 4.95 euros.