The French Professional Football League (LFP) will endorse the Paris bid for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by holding its matches under the colors of Paris 2012 over the next two weekends.

Across France, the matches taking place on January 15th,, 16th, 22nd and 23rd will be infused with "L’Amour des Jeux”.

When entering the field, the 22 players will wear Paris 2012 T-shirts and children, wearing the same t-shirts, will accompany them.

Former Olympic champions and medalists will kick-off the games.

Emilie Le Pennec, the 2004 Olympic champion in asymmetric bars, will launch the Paris Saint-Germain-Toulouse match in Parc of the Princes. Assia el-Announi, the quadruple Paralympic champion in athletics, will be at the Abbé-Deschamps stadium for the Auxerre-Sochaux match. Tony Estanguet, the double Olympic champion in canoe-kayak in 2000 and 2004 and Pascal Gentil, the bronze medallist of Taekwondo in 2000 and 2004, will demonstrate their support of Paris 2012 at the Marseilles-Nice match at the Marseilles’s Velodrome Stadium.

In the stadiums, the spectators will be provided with pennants featuring the colors of the French bid.

Philippe Baudillon, CEO of Paris 2012, said: "This show of support by the National Football League demonstrates a new momentum in the mobilization of the sporting world and the people of France behind the Bid. For Paris 2012, this is another opportunity to demonstrate L’Amour des Jeux of the whole country and our nation’s dedication to the quest of becoming the host city of the 2012 Olympics".

This week, Paris 2012 celebrated the 1500th public event held since the launch of the French candidature, demonstrating the overwhelming national support it enjoys.