THE rivalry for the 2012 Olympic Games escalated yesterday when Paris announced the backing of the French stars of Arsenal and Chelsea, even though the Barclays Premiership clubs have pledged their support to London.

On Tuesday, bookmakers eased Paris from 2-7 to 4-11, suggesting that its lead has slipped, while London hardened to 5-2, its shortest price this year. However, the French capital retaliated by showing a film of Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira, of Arsenal, and William Gallas and Claude Makelele, of Chelsea, promoting Paris.

The sniping against London was evident, if unspoken, because Paris also used two rugby union players, Thomas Castaignède and Raphaël Ibañez, to promote the bid, although neither is in the France team and rugby has not been on the Olympic programme since 1924. However, significantly, both play for Saracens, a London club.

As the IOC’s Evaluation Commission yesterday began its first full day of assessing the technical quality of the bid, Paris was trying to divert attention from a demonstration, by children and parents against educational reforms, and a strike, scheduled for today, by transport workers in defence of the 35-hour week.

Robert Pires, the Arsenal player who helped France to reach the quarter-finals of the Olympic football tournament in Atlanta in 1996, said: “As young people, we dream of being on the Olympic podium, the national anthem playing and supporters from all around the world cheering for you.”

Makelele, who was also in the France squad in Atlanta, said that the Games would enhance Paris’s impressive multicultural society.

However, all is not serene in the French camp because of the financial scandals surrounding three of the leading officials associated with the bid. Guy Drut, one of the IOC members in France, is among the 47 politicians and businessmen who are to stand trial here on March 21 in a case arising from party finances. Drut denies allegations of malpractice, as do Christian Bimes, the vice-president of the French Olympic committee, and Jean-Paul Huchon, the president of the Paris Regional Council. The three are involved in separate controversies that have come to a head as Paris prepares for the IOC vote on July 6.

Speaking about Drut’s case yesterday, a bid spokesman said: “This has nothing to do with his work for the bid and as an IOC member. We believe the IOC will realise that and it will be business as usual.”

What must also be worrying Paris is that two rivals, London and Madrid, have their athletes’ villages next to the main competition site, easing security worries. In contrast, the Paris village is well away from its two main venues, at a disused railway yard at Les Batignolles, just inside the main ring road. The facilities in the two clusters are interspersed with businesses and housing, which will mean the inhabitants having to negotiate checkpoints during the Games.