FeatureParis travel diary: Flying with a treble winner, Ibou's shades and seeing all the sights

Tuesday

10.30am, Liverpool: That came around quickly, didn’t it? Just like that, the Champions League is back. Our staff flight from John Lennon Airport to Paris is due to depart in around an hour and spring is in the air on Merseyside this morning, bringing with it some welcome sunshine and crisp blue skies. Oh, and there’s a treble-winner on board with us, too: Emile Heskey, a key component of Gerard Houllier’s iconic 2000-01 side, who will be on LFCTV punditry duty at Parc des Princes. The journey to Charles de Gaulle Airport will take around 90 minutes and your correspondent come prepared with downloads aplenty. I settle in for an episode of A Thousand Blows, accompanied by a coffee. Lovely.

1pm, Paris: Touchdown. We’ve arrived in the French capital and thankfully the weather here is beautiful too. We’re through passport control quickly and begin the 45-minute trip to our hotel, which, it turns out, is the same one we stayed in when we last visited Paris Saint-Germain, back in the 2018 group stage. The Reds lost 2-1 on that occasion – but would, of course, go on to lift the trophy in Madrid six months later. Our base is a stone’s throw away from the Eiffel Tower and our route there also takes us past the Arc de Triomphe. So, we’ve ticked off two of the city’s many tourist attractions within about an hour of landing. Pretty good going, that.

4pm, Paris: Soon after we arrive at our hotel, word reaches us that Arne Slot and his squad are at John Lennon Airport ahead of the team flight out to Paris. That means we’re able to publish news of the 24-man travelling squad selected by the head coach. Ibrahima Konate’s choice of sunglasses are getting a lot of attention from his teammates, while Mohamed Salah passes some time by playfully throwing a pillow at Dominik Szoboszlai in the row in front. “What a landing, pilot!” exclaims Konate, as the aircraft touches down in his home city.

6pm, Paris: After a quick bite to eat at the hotel, we arrive at Parc des Princes to hear from Slot and Wataru Endo in Liverpool’s pre-match press conference. “I think it is a great fixture to look forward to for everyone who loves football,” says the boss.

9.30pm, Paris: With our stories filed and published, it’s time for us to head back to base for a light supper. A quick check of our phones confirms that more good weather is forecast for Wednesday, meaning a matchday stroll is very much on the agenda. Let’s see how many more world-famous sights we can get to.

Wednesday

10am, Paris: As the players have breakfast and their team meeting before heading out for a walk and coffee, we decide to take an (even closer) look at the Eiffel Tower prior to a leisurely stroll around the city, which is bathed in sunshine. We’ll then return to the hotel before getting to the stadium around three hours before kick-off. Up the Reds!