The digital slingshot started with a simple photo. Posted by the Stade Rennais announcer an hour before the kickoff of the match against Nice, it showed a frail stand serving a sausage pancake not really worthy of the name. Installed within the stadium, at the entrance to a space where certain VIPs and the press pass, the small stand escaped the ban imposed by the prefect Emmanuel Berthier, who had
prohibits the installation of street vendors around Roazhon Park in an attempt to curb the rampant Covid-19 epidemic. It did not take more to awaken a class struggle. “The poor do not deserve to eat at the stadium, nor to drink water … On the other hand, the VIPs rinsed with champagne and petit fours for 5 hours, that does not bother anyone”, gets carried away Antoine, red and black supporter, on Twitter.
His rant was widely commented on on the social network and awakens a feeling of “injustice” between “classic” supporters and those invited to VIP lounges. What was it really like during this meeting? “The high density and the prolonged duration of the gatherings naturally increase the risk of contamination, as does the consumption of drinks and food which lead to removing the mask”, explains the prefect Emmanuel Berthier to justify the ban on mobile stands. A decision that was maintained this Saturday for the reception of Lorient in the Coupe de France (9 pm).
The poor do not deserve to eat at the stadium, nor to drink water …
On the other hand, the VIPs rinsed with champagne and petit fours for 5 hours, that does not bother anyone. https://t.co/EiJsWPY7pC– Antoine Airlines 🛩 (@AntoineLgx) December 12, 2021
But what happened in the famous VIP lounges? “As Stade Rennais has a team spirit, it has decided to close the refreshments in the stadium and nine of its ten VIP areas. The only open lounge is only accessible before and after the match, when the concentration of the public is less, ”assures the prefecture. Contacted, the club confirms the closure of most of its private spaces. Facing Nice, only the large living room where the boxes of several companies are located has remained open (except at half-time) “with a protocol and strict hygiene standards”, specifies the club. This implies stricter than that practiced by street vendors outside.
A general rule? “It’s generalized confinement”
What football fans also find it hard to swallow is that the traveling stalls offering food and drinks are still allowed at the funfair and the Christmas market, where the mixing of people is also very important. “The crowds are not of the same order. To say that a general rule is needed is to ask for generalized confinement. We are doing everything to avoid it. But it’s up to everyone to show a spirit of responsibility, ”concludes the Prefect. New decisions could be taken in the evening, at the end of the health defense council scheduled for Friday afternoon.