On this historic final Sunday, on the Christmas market in the Pink City, there are more red and black hats in the colors of Stade Toulousain than blue-white-red. And the relief seems stronger than the mounting stress. Since, yes – the most informed reassure the worried – “France-Argentina will be broadcast on a giant screen at Ernest-Wallon”, just after the European Rugby Cup match against the English of Sale, of which we do not know if they will be keen to avenge their football counterparts. Suffice to say that this seller of local specialties expects “a big hollow” in the aisles from 2 p.m.
But even at the end of the morning, however sunny, we cannot really speak of a Christmas rush in the hypercentre of Toulouse. At Galeries Lafayette, you don’t step on your toes on the escalators. “Between the rugby at 2 p.m. and the final at 4 p.m., it will be calm,” the store manager already predicts. It was Saturday that the shoppers, in particular the far-sighted “male clientele” jostled. Alexandre and Léo (the latter coming from England, only to see the final with his friend) come out of the department store empty-handed: “We were just looking for tricolor flags. There is none anywhere”. Laure and her daughter did some shopping but did not choose their moment in relation to the match. “I come now because I like the calm, says the mother of the family”.
“The final, you shouldn’t laugh with that”
Not far from there, the complete panoply – two-star jersey, make-up, flag, tricolor artificial flower necklace – of a group of young people attracts the curiosity of children. And no, these supporters are not shopping for gifts while waiting for Mbappé and Messi to take to the track. “Christmas shopping is before or after. Not during? Not today ! », decides one of them. The group of friends are simply anticipating “rush in the bars of Saint-Pierre Square”. If they do it early, it’s to get a good seat, even if it means having an aperitif for hours once in the square.
Luc, 56, is less exclusive. Yes, if he does his shopping in the morning, it’s good so as not to miss the “event”. “The final, you shouldn’t laugh with that”. Same thing for Claire and Benjamin, happy to have completed their list before kick-off. “Being back on time was the condition for shopping this Sunday,” said the young woman. Diego (“not Argentinian at all!”) and Thuvaraka didn’t calculate anything. They came to rob a temporary store of green plants. The final ? Maybe they’ll watch it, maybe not. For Diego, nothing will ever surpass the emotion of 98.