If you aren’t specifically looking for the Princess Grace Irish Library, you might easily walk past it. And yet behind its unimposing exterior on rue Princesse Marie-de-Lorraine lies a veritable cultural hub that is very much part of Monaco life. 

The Library was founded in 1984 by Prince Rainier III in memory of his late wife, Princess Grace. Grace Kelly, as she was known before she married the Prince, was the grand-daughter of John Henry Kelly, who emigrated from County Mayo, Ireland to Philadelphia in the United States. The Library was created to honour Princess Grace’s attachment to her Irish origins, and is home to her personal collection of books and Irish-American sheet music, as well as beautiful reference books (including many rare first editions) and items of historical value, photos and art works. 

Its Director since January 2021, Paula Farquharson, took us on a tour and shared a bit of craic*. 

Monaco Tribune: Your website mentions over 12,000 books, many of which are from Princess Grace’s personal collection. Can you describe the kinds of books you have?

Paula Farquharson: We have a wide variety, from the latest best sellers by Irish authors back to a first edition of Ulysses by James Joyce dated 1922, and some even older volumes, such as the ‘Atlas Hibernia’ from 1654! I’d say we have 1500 to 2000 reference works out of the 12000 total. New books are added each year especially for the children’s section as they are voracious readers!  We have contemporary poetry, fiction and drama, scholarly monographs, and general works, including key reference works and leading illustrated publications, so that we can cater to modern readers as well as scholarly researchers. Our pride and joy is, of course, Princess Grace’s personal collection, not only of books but also artwork and sheet music she acquired during her lifetime, as well as beautiful objects from her family in Ireland. Our book catalogue is now available online, free of charge.

What sets you apart from, say, Monaco’s médiathèque (media library), which has an English-language section?

I think the clue’s in our name! (smiles) We are specifically an Irish Library rather than a library with books in English. Our readers are often interested in Irish authors in particular, others want to learn about other aspects of Ireland and its culture. Sometimes people don’t realise that some famous writers were Irish such as Oscar Wilde or F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby or Bram Stoker, author of Dracula!  For many parents there’s a desire to have their children experience an English-speaking environment from a language or cultural point of view. There is a big English-speaking community in Monaco, whether ‘first generation’ or otherwise, including by marriage, so all sorts of nationalities come through the door!

What kind of relationship do you have with the médiathèque?

A positive and constructive one! Monaco’s Médiathèque is very supportive of our events and promotes them. In fact, we’ve organised authors’ readings in English on their premises in the past. And for St Patrick’s Day last year, we co-organised an event, with the guest musician performing at the Sonothèque José Notari, the Médiathèque’s music venue. 

As we have a bigger collection of English-language books, the Médiathèque points readers in our direction when appropriate. And if we know they have a specific item that we don’t, we do the same. Monaco is certainly ‘big enough for the both of us’. They have also kindly shared access to the hundreds of magazines and newspapers that they subscribe to so the PGIL members can enjoy them. We’re both about promoting reading and we’re very complementary in terms of publications and readership. 

How many Library cardholders do you have?

If I gave you a number, you would probably find it pretty negligible. We’ve come to realise just how widespread our guests are. Borrowing a book creates an obligation to return it. And it’s easy to spend a couple of hours trying to get in and out of Monaco depending on where you live, so guests are a little wary about taking out a card they might not make full use of. Plus, given that we’re such a small team, ‘chasing’ lapsed cardholders takes time that’s hard to find. The cardholder number isn’t very indicative of our overall activity. 

Not just about books

For sure, even a cursory glance at your website tells us you’re ‘not just about books’. How important is the cultural side of your activities?

Our mission is to foster a love of Ireland, its culture, history and present day, through learning and creative thought, by engaging audiences, locally in Monaco and internationally. So, sharing the literary legacy, and having young readers discover Irish authors and illustrators, is certainly a big part of that. Classes from the lycées attend lectures and are very lucky to meet one-on-one with award-winning Irish authors.

But we also organise a raft of cultural events, whether it’s readings, talks, symposia, musical evenings… Obviously when people think about Irish Culture, St Patrick’s Day is high on the list, and we do try to push the boat out and the Prince’s Palace is lit up in green. However, we have a busy calendar of events all year round especially this year since it is our 40^th birthday and people can drop in anytime to read or watch an Irish film. This year we’re screening from time to time “Her name was Grace Kelly” an insightful documentary with testimonials from family members, friends and those who knew her.

How do you engage with the local community, to ‘get people through the door’?

Through articles like yours! (laughs) More seriously, the local media and radio are important to us in that regard. We have our Facebook pages, one of which is specifically for young readers. The content is mostly event-driven, whether it’s about new publications in the Library or upcoming talks or concerts.  We also work with local schools for workshops and book readings. 

I often say Irish people are chatty, and word-of-mouth certainly can be effective in a small community like Monaco. The British and American associations help us get the word out too, and people can join our mailing list to receive our Newsletter – nearly 880 recipients and counting. The popularity of our events is evident as we’re often sold out! We had a full house for our most recent talk (on February 21, by author Neal Doherty about county Mayo in the west of Ireland, where Princess Grace’s grandfather was born) and the upcoming one on March 13th, by writer-in-residence Flor MacCarthy, is sold out! Hence why we’ve just announced another date for Flor’s talk on March 20th.

Members of the Princely Family visit when they can, and there’s usually quite a lot of publicity around those times, which certainly helps our notoriety. But more than that, we’re in the privileged position of being able to welcome ‘home’ Princess Grace’s family with a ‘direct line’ to their Irish heritage. It’s quite unique.

How are you funded?

We rely on donations, and the Prince’s family via the Fondation Princesse Grace to support our mission. There are also the fees paid by our cardholders, and ticket sales to our events. Along with The Ireland Funds Monaco Bursaries, which enables us to host academics- and writers-in-residence and the Irish writers, academics and musicians we manage to have a rich programme of events, residencies and symposia, which I mentioned earlier. We have also established a number of partnerships with sponsors that ‘make sense’, in other words where there’s an Irish connection.

Having our own premises is such a blessing

Paula Farquharson

Why aren’t you open at the weekend?

Like I said, we’re a small team! We need some time off! (laughs) Joking aside, members of the local community are often elsewhere at the weekend. We noticed a much better turnout for our mid-week events. Of course, that means liaising with other organisations such as the American Club and British Association to make sure our events don’t clash! But having our own premises is such a blessing, and it means we can host events on behalf of others, such as the Monaco Ireland Arts Society. These are great opportunities for meeting people, sharing ideas, and creating new connections.   

A Monaco Tribune scoop!

Paula is hoping to be able to convince film director Frank Mannion to do a talk, and organise a screening of his latest documentary, ‘Quintessentially Irish’ when he comes to Cannes this year. Watch this space! 

Quintessentially Irish: Prince Albert stars in new documentary

“You know the Irish have always been travellers, but there’s also a very strong sense of home. I think the Irish have a natural sense of belonging, and we’re good at making friends. People need that, there’s a lot of ‘fake’ out there.”

So, if you’re from the Emerald Isle and feeling homesick, or you’re looking for a community to belong to, ‘come into the parlour’ at 9 rue Princess Marie de Lorraine, where Céad Míle Fáilte** await you.

 * craic: pronounced crack, is commonly used in Irish slang to describe a good time, a fun experience, or a friendly conversation.
** Céad Míle Fáilte : a hundred thousand welcomes in Irish gaelic. 

Practical details: 
9 rue Princesse Marie-de-Lorraine, Monaco-Ville
Tel + 377 93 50 12 25

Socials: Facebook and Princess Grace Irish Library Young Readers

Membership Fees: 

• Adults – €25 (to be renewed every year) 
• Children/Students – €8 (one-off payment: membership lasts until the child is aged 18 years old or when the student finishes studies at university/third-level education) 
• Family – €50 (to be renewed every year)

Opening hours: 

Monday to Thursday 9am-5pm & Fridays 9am-4pm. Closed weekends. 

The 2024 edition will be held at the Monaco Yacht Club on 4 and 5 May, with a “Seas and Oceans” theme.

A new year means a new poster. Amateurs and professionals will be back in May to try to win the prize for the best bouquet, using the “Seas and Oceans” theme for each of their arrangements. Organised by the Monaco Garden Club, the competition is held under the patronage of Prince Albert II and the presidency of the Princess of Hanover.

Each participant will be able to compete in one of the 7 categories:

• Vintage sailing boats
• A coral reef
• A fishing net
• A storm at sea
• An ice floe or iceberg
• Lunch on board
• The Beach, for the youth category

Two juries to assess the overall winner

A special jury, made up of leading figures from the literary and artistic worlds, will award the Special Prizes, under the presidency of the Princess of Hanover.

Teachers, international authors and floral art specialists will form the “Official Jury”, to decide the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards and the overall Grand Prize, the “Princess Grace of Monaco Prize.”

The public will also be able to admire the bouquets on Saturday 4 May from 6 pm to 7.30 pm and on Sunday 5 May from 9.30 am to 6 pm, with admission free of charge. They will also be able to attend free conferences that are open to the public at the Monaco Garden Club on Sunday 5 May.

Learn the circus arts this summer

Registration is open until April 19. For more information, head over to the event website, call +377 93 30 02 04 / 06 43 91 09 60 or send an e-mail to gardenclub@monaco.mc.

Some 300 positions are still available for the 2024 season.

Following on from the success of the Monaco Employment Forum, the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) is holding its traditional recruitment day ahead of the summer season. “La Journée des Talents” or Talent Day”, as Monaco’s biggest private employer calls it, will take place at One Monte-Carlo on Wednesday 6 March from 9.30 am to 6.30 pm

Jobseekers will be able to meet the Group’s hotel and restaurant managers and potentially land a job. There are still almost 300 vacancies, including those in the hotel and catering sector.

Looking for a job in the Principality? The ‘Monaco pour l’Emploi’ forum is for you!

Interviews will be conducted by SBM’s Human Resources team, then managers from the relevant departments will see the candidates.

These are the candidate profiles the SBM is looking for:

• Restaurant (Wine waiter, hostess, barman, head waiter, busboy…)
• Kitchen (commis, chef de partie, ½ chef de partie, sushi maker, pastry chef, baker, stewarding supervisor)
• Accommodation (receptionist, guest relations, housekeeper, linen maid, crew)
• Bathing (lifeguard, swimming supervisor, beach attendant, water sports instructor)
• Cross-functional positions (customer advisor, safety and security, BAFA activity monitor & kids club manager)

Japanese restaurant, Moods, museum… 5 major SBM projects for 2024

The three-time world champion won this season’s first Grand Prix, well ahead of Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz. 

Red Bull was the main act at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, in more ways than the Austrian stable would have wanted, with Team Principal Christian Horner still the subject of much media attention, for extra-trackside activities. This certainly didn’t seem to affect Max Verstappen (Red Bull), who started the new season as he finished the last, way ahead of the field. 22 seconds ahead, in fact, over his teammate Sergio Perez.

Starting in pole position, the Dutchman was never troubled. In fact, the only cars he saw in front were the ten he lapped in the final stages of the race, including Stewart, twice. Hopes were raised prior to the event about improved competitiveness from Ferrari and Mercedes. But given that the 3 stables finished in group formation (Red Bull 1&2, Ferrari 3&4, Mercedes 5&7) you could be forgiven for thinking this is how the manufacturers’ podium will look at the end of the season.

Charles Leclerc disappointed

Second on the grid, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) had a tough first outing in his new car, as he was plagued with brake problems that slowed him down throughout the race.

“I felt I was at a standstill throughout the race, because of brake problems,” he told Canal+ afterwards. “We had an opportunity today to score points in the world championship, but we didn’t. I am very disappointed.”

What are Charles Leclerc and Ferrari’s ambitions this season?

It was his teammate, Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), who made up the podium, finishing third behind the two Red Bull drivers.

Drive to survive for Horner?

Given the lack of suspense in the race, it took Geri Halliwell-Horner’s arrival in support of her husband, Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner, to ‘Spice up’ the event.

Horner had recently been accused of inappropriate behaviour by a female Red Bull employee. An 8-week ‘independent’ yet in-house enquiry exonerated him earlier in the week. However 24 hours later and just before the race qualifiers, an email was circulated to top F1 figures and the media, with a link to a Google Drive with pages of screenshots of WhatsApp messages appearing to indicate Horner had indeed actively pursued the employee, despite being married to former Spice Girl Halliwell-Horner.

The couple put on a united front in Abu Dhabi, but Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff and McLaren CEO Zak Brown are calling for more transparency on the matter. Wolff said “As a sport, we cannot afford to leave things in the vague and in the opaque on critical topics like this,” with Brown adding: “It’s the responsibility ultimately of […] the owners of Formula One, to make sure that all the racing teams and the personnel and the drivers and everyone else involved in the sport are operating in a manner in which we all live by. I don’t think it’s the teams’ roles and responsibilities.”

After 25 years as Red Bull TP, is Horner’s situation tenable? In a sport that is anything but averse to rumours, this certainly feels different.

The next race, the Singapore Grand Prix, is on Saturday March 9 at 6 pm. With or without Horner remains to be seen.

As every year, the month of March is about raising awareness of colorectal cancer prevention and screening.

In March, all those aged between 50 and 80 with health insurance in the Principality will receive a letter inviting them to undergo screening. You can pick up your screening kit from the Centre Monégasque de Dépistage (Monaco screening centre )at the Princess Grace Hospital, from the Office de la Médecine du Travail (occupational health centre) during your regular medical check-up, or from your GP.

How does it work? – Once the test has been carried out, you should send it to lab at the Princess Grace Hospital. The process is free of charge, and the (pre-addressed and pre-stamped) envelope, containing your completed test, should be dropped into a letterbox in the Principality.

You and your GP will receive the test results the following week. If the result is negative, it is recommended that the test be carried out again two years later. On the other hand, if the test comes back positive, your GP will be informed directly so that a colonoscopy can be carried out.

Monaco, ‘pretty in pink’ to support the fight against breast cancer

In most cases, colon cancer can be treated. However, successful treatment depends on the stage at which the diagnosis is made. Basically, the earlier cancer is detected, the better the chances of beating it.

The screening campaign is supported by a number of stakeholders, including the Department of Health and Social Affairs, health professionals, the Princess Grace Hospital and the Monegasque Screening Centre.

The Monegasque side won (67-77) on Friday March 1st, away to FC Barcelona. 

What a match, what a performance, what an achievement! The Roca Team chalked up a win in Barcelona for the first time in its history, having controlled the match perfectly against the second-ranked club in the Euroleague. 

A solid team performance, led by Donta Hall, Jaron Blossomgame, John Brown and the indispensable Mike James (17 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists), gave Sasa Obradovic’s men their sixth consecutive Euroleague win.

A great run in the Euroleague

“It was a great victory, a very solid collective and physical performance by the whole team, who showed remarkable commitment,” Sasa Obradovic said.

“It was our defence in particular that won us the match. There was a lot of joy in the changing room, it should give us even more confidence for what’s still to come, but we will need to keep the same mindset for the next few matches, that’s very important.”

The next match is at home to Red Star Belgrade on Thursday evening March 7 at 7 pm.

AS Monaco unquestionably held their own in their entertaining 0-0 draw with Ligue 1 frontrunners Paris Saint-Germain, in a match where Les Monegasques had the ascendancy in terms of expected goals (1.61 to 1.57), big chances created (5 to 3), shots inside the box (12 to 7), interceptions (14 to 2) and tackles won (12 to 10).

Fresh from claiming a magnificent victory over RC Lens last time out, this result was a very positive one indeed against such an accomplished team, with Monaco giving the fans inside the Stade Louis II plenty to cheer about in the first half especially.

With this in mind, this gives us the opportunity to focus on three takeaways from this exciting encounter.

Exceptional defensive effort

Opting for a four at the back shape for this massive match, this decision paid off nicely for Adi Hutter, for ASM produced a fantastic defensive display to limit the effectiveness of one of the most feared offensive units in world football.

Moreover, it was also brilliant to see Les Monegasques keep their first clean sheet since matchday 14 against Montpellier on December 3 to give them further tangible reward for their outstanding individual and collective showing.

Remaining focused, disciplined and organised to repeatedly repel the star-studded PSG and prevent them from creating quality chances, this served as a testament to the players’ determination, decision making and adherence to Hutter’s stopping game plan as well.

The way they flexed their muscles in duels both on the ground and in the air duly compounded issues for Luis Enrique’s men.

Special mention must also go to Radoslaw Majecki in goal, who put in another marvellous showing to ensure PSG went scoreless.

“We had a good match collectively, we defended together as a unit. I think it’s a good result to get this point, although we had several chances that we didn’t manage to take advantage of. I’m happy despite everything because we managed a clean sheet. We worked well collectively and we must continue this momentum next weekend against Strasbourg,” reflected Wilfried Singo.

Guillermo Maripan then added: “I felt pretty good. I’m used to playing in a four-man defence, whether here with AS Monaco or in the national team. It was planned before the match to play in this defensive system. In training, we saw how to defend against teams who have very good attackers. It paid off, we are happy with the clean sheet.”

Having now secured their first shutout in roughly three months against such a fearsome frontline, they’ll be hoping to maintain this defensive solidity in the all-important run home. 

Adaptable Singo stars while stopping Mbappe

Deployed at right-back for this huge fixture, the incredibly adaptable Singo was superb throughout, with his masterful job stopping Kylian Mbappe especially catching the eye.

“As I have already said, I am at the coach’s disposal, whether I am in central defence or on the right. I respond wherever he wants to put me. We defended really well overall, the whole team worked well and I’m happy with the result,” Singo said in his post-match comments.

Alert to the movement of the superstar, the Ivorian used his speed, strength and awareness to make life extremely difficult for Mbappe. Tracking his runs in behind diligently, following him closely when he dropped deep and keen to physically impose himself on the French attacker when possible, he did a terrific job of limiting his influence, in a game where Mbappe was taken off at half-time.

By the numbers, the fact Mbappe had zero touches inside the box, one shot, one successful dribble, one pass into the final third and only won three of his 11 duels owed plenty to the exploits of Singo.

“When you are in a duel against this type of player, you really have to attack him with a lot of determination. His exit at half-time didn’t change much because we had prepared well for the match. We all worked together and we can see that in the result this evening,” he said on his engaging duel with Mbappe.

Singo also impacted proceedings going forward with his driving dribbles, incisive passing and how he offered himself as a vital outlet when Monaco went long, where he used his judgement and powerful leap to win headers to help his team recover the ball high up.

Justifiably receiving praise from his manager and his teammates, this latest body of work by Singo yet again underlined what an integral member of Monaco’s squad he is.

Masterful Majecki

Handed another start after his exceptional outing against Lens last week, Radoslaw Majecki once more repaid Hutter’s faith in him through his polished performance.

On a night where both he and PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma were sensational between the posts, it was admirable how comfortably the Pole handled the big occasion under the lights.

Proving a real game-changer for Les Rouge et Blanc with his slew of remarkable saves, strong command of his area and hulking presence, it’s little wonder Hutter and Singo spoke glowingly of his exploits afterwards.

Coming up big when his team needed him, his stops to deny Bradley Barcola and Vitinha in the second half were particularly valuable on his way to making five saves.

Holding his own, taking his chance wonderfully again and bolstering his case to nail down the starting keeper berth, all the signs are very positive indeed from the in-form and confident Majecki, who continues to go from strength to strength and be an integral figure for Monaco.

Despite carving out a host of opportunities and being the better side in the first half, AS Monaco ultimately had to settle for a 0-0 draw against the mighty Paris Saint-Germain at the Stade Louis II.

The Match

Picking an attackingly-geared side for this colossal clash, this decision immediately paid off for Adi Hutter, as ASM began the match in fine fashion.

Kicking things off with a decent look from Folarin Balogun before Takumi Minamino unleashed a long range blast, this set the tone nicely for their positive first half.

With the game settling into a pattern of PSG dominating possession and Les Monegasques looking extremely dangerous whenever they attacked, the chances continued to come for Monaco, as Wissam Ben Yedder, Aleksandr Golovin, Maghnes Akliouche and Kassoum Ouattara came close in the opening period.

Monaco also deserve credit for defending in a diligent and organised manner to successfully keep PSG at bay, with them impressively restricting their star-studded opponents to just three touches inside the box in the opening 45 minutes.

Eager to stamp their mark on the contest going forward, PSG came out for the second stanza full of gusto even though Kylian Mbappe was taken off at the break, for they quickly put Monaco on the back foot.

Monaco still posed a threat, though, with Ben Yedder and his fellow frontmen still asking regular questions of the PSG backline.

Radoslaw Majecki crucially carried on his excellent form by producing some handy stops to deny Lucas Beraldo and Bradley Barcola, with the latter especially eye-catching to keep out the young talent’s strike.

The Polish shot stopper then flexed his muscles again to deny Vitinha’s powerful hit.

Although the two teams tried as they tired, quality chances were hard to come by in the closing stages. Guillermo Maripan notably wasn’t far off with a header in stoppage time, but the game ended in a draw on a night where both teams enjoyed periods of superiority and Monaco kept a much-needed clean sheet.

Hutter’s Debrief

“To start off, I have to say that it was a great match! The first 60 minutes was really good from us, and I think it’s a good point for us. PSG put a lot of pressure on us then in the last half hour, we had to defend more against the PSG substitutes who brought speed. Perhaps we could have had a better result, but in the end it was a fair draw,” insisted the Austrian tactician.

“In any case, I want to congratulate my players, starting with Youssouf and Golo, who did a monstrous job. I also want to say a word about the two goalkeepers, who had a great match, whether it was Donnarumma who prevented us from scoring, or Radeck, who also made decisive saves.

“After the match against Toulouse at home (1-2 defeat), no one thought we could take four points in two games against Lens and PSG. We must continue in this state of mind by being very solid like tonight, and by playing our football.”

Key Stats

By the numbers, the fact ASM held the ascendancy in terms of expected goals (1.61 to 1.57), big chances created (5 to 3), shots inside the box (12 to 7), interceptions (14 to 2) and tackles won (12 to 10) underlined what a force to be reckoned with they were.

Up Next

Following this outstanding body of work against one of the elite outfits in world football, Monaco will now turn their attention to their fixture vs. Strasbourg next weekend, where a win is a must to maintain momentum in their Champions League qualification push.

According to Ouest France, which analysed 2020 figures published by the French finance ministry (DGFP), Monaco is the city with the highest Impôt sur la Fortune Immobilière (IFI – property wealth tax).

With its idyllic beaches, luxury yachts and impressive villas, there’s no doubt that the French Riviera is the ideal place to invest your wealth. But does this mean that the Côte d’Azur coastline is home to the wealthiest people in France? To answer the question, the French daily Ouest France looked at the IFI, which replaced the Impôt de solidarité sur la fortune (ISF – wealth solidarity tax) in 2018. The ranking takes into account towns with more than 20,000 inhabitants and over 50 IFI payers.

The Principality on top

Unsurprisingly, Paris dominates the ranking of in terms of numbers of fiscal households that are liable for the IFI tax (9,030 in the 16th arrondissement alone). On this criterion, Cannes and Monaco only rate 9th and 10th respectively.

However, according to the DGFP’s 2020 data, our coastline is home to the largest real estate assets. If we look at the amount of IFI paid, the Principality leads the way, with an average of €24,817 per tax-paying household. A figure that is far from surprising for Monaco, which has the highest density of millionaires and is the most expensive 2km² in the world.

Slight drop in luxury real estate prices in Monaco

Another Riviera town in second place

No, it’s not Nice or Cannes, but Grasse that is home to the biggest fortunes, after Monaco. In a town with only 50,000 inhabitants, the average IFI tax bill is €18,665. An unexpected position, given its 115ᵉ place in the erstwhile ISF ranking. And yet, with average assets of €2.8 million per IFI tax-paying household, it has certainly earned its place in the rankings.

Monaco is playing the league leaders at 9 pm tonight, Friday, at the Stade Louis-II for the top-of-the-table clash on match day 24. What can we expect?

‘Strong against the strong and in trouble against the weaker sides’ sums up what we’ve seen from Monaco so far this season.

With 22 points earned at the expense of teams in the top 9 since the start of the campaign, the Monegasques hardly ever disappoint against the league’s big guns, as witnessed by their recent victory at RC Lens.

“When a team sets up a very defensive system, it is much more difficult to find the openings. This requires more concentration, and not making easy mistakes in dangerous areas,” said Guillermo Maripan in the pre-match press conference, in an effort to explain disappointments against the ‘minnows’ and good performances against the ‘big boys’.

“It has perhaps been more difficult for us at home recently for this reason, as we have faced opponents who sit back.” 

Taking on Paris Saint-Germain feels like a big ask this time, however, with a number of players missing the game (Vanderson, Zakaria, Camara, Diatta, Jakobs, etc.). But the Monegasque squad is ambitious, as Adi Hütter recently declared.

AS Monaco performs better against the top teams

“Paris is the best team in France and one of the best in Europe, and they have some great players. But I’m convinced that we can beat them if we put our ideas into practice. I won’t need to motivate my players, we’ll stay focused on our game.”

Paris Saint-Germain is a team that tends to suit the Monegasques quite well, as Guillermo Maripan pointed out. “We know that we are capable of putting in a big performance, and we have shown it in the past by winning the last three times against them at the Stade Louis-II.”

Radoslaw Majecki, who came on against Lens in place of Philipp Köhn, is expected to feature in the starting line-up, while Wilfried Singo could make up for Vanderson’s absence on the right flank and Soungoutou Magassa could move up a notch to replace Denis Zakaria and Mohamed Camara.

In attack, the Monegasques will be able to rely on Folarin Balogun, Alexandr Golovin and Takumi Minamino, who shone at Lens, as Guillermo Maripan stressed. “Taki’ really has special qualities, he’s a great player and he showed that in Lens, by being as present offensively as in his defensive duties. He helps us a lot in his position.”

Ligue 1: AS Monaco reign triumphant in five-goal thriller against Lens

The Parisians, meanwhile, will be keen to get back to winning ways after their draw with Stade Rennais at the Parc des Princes last time out. Kylian Mbappé will be up front, for what might be his final appearance at the Stade Louis-II in a Paris Saint-Germain shirt, since he is due to join Real Madrid next season.

The Red & Whites’ coach and players are looking forward to meeting the Parisians this Friday at Louis II, in front of an expected full house. The Monegasques can also count on the support of their chairman. Dmitry Rybolovlev has attended several of AS Monaco’s recent home and away matches, and has often been seen at the Performance Centre in recent weeks. His support is much appreciated by the AS Monaco players, as Guillermo Maripan mentioned.

“He has always been behind us. I am very happy to see him more, and that he is more present at the Club or with the team.” 

Probable line-ups:

AS Monaco : Majecki – Kehrer, Maripan, Salisu – Singo, Magassa, Fofana, Ouattara – Minamino, Golovin – Balogun

Paris Saint-Germain : Donnarumma – Soler, Danilo, Beraldo, Hernandez – Zaïre-Emery, Ruiz, Ugarte – Barcola, Mbappé, Dembélé

On 28 and 29 February, two Apple vehicles toured the Principality as part of an update to the brand’s “Maps” application.

Perhaps you spotted the white Subarus, with an unusual object on the roof? The cars, and more specifically their cameras, were collecting “new data to keep our high-quality maps up to date,” said the firm.

On the camera side, Apple uses a tool consisting of twelve cameras and LIDAR or “Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging” sensors. The technology provides an accurate reconstruction of the environment. In layperson’s terms, the telemetry method involves pointing a laser at a surface, and the device then calculates the time it takes for the laser to return to its source.

The data will be used to improve its 360° view “Look Around” feature, which allows users to “take a virtual walk around the streets” in certain towns and cities. In terms of privacy, the multinational claims that “no faces or number plates will be identifiable on the images published in the 360° view.” These are blurred in the application.