Place Masséna emptied as quickly as it had filled a few hours earlier this Saturday in Nice. On the occasion of the final of the Coupe de France which opposed OGC Nice to FC Nantes at the Stade de France, the capital of the French Riviera had dressed in red and black, the colors of the club, for several weeks and had installed on the emblematic place two giant screens to accommodate up to 20,000 people.
This same crowd of people deserted the place in a few minutes at the end of the match to avoid seeing the Nantes players lift the cup after their victory (0-1).
” It hurts my heart “
At the end of 94 minutes (four minutes of additional time), the disappointment was palpable and insults rang out against Stéphanie Frappart, the first woman to referee a Coupe de France final, who whistled a hand in the 46th minute. A penalty which was transformed by Blas, the Nantes player. According to Olivier, a security officer who was able to follow the match “from the front row” despite his evening at work, that’s when it became “a missed final”. “When you’re robbed of a point like that, you can’t get over it. To lose on this is heartbreaking. »
For this 35-year-old supporter, to whom the father “transmitted the passion and love of the club”, and in particular “the values of tradition, family, good manners”, this match was an opportunity to “mark the blow, to mark history”. “It was important for future generations, to make them dream and make them proud,” he regrets after the final whistle.
“We will always be there for them”
Many young people were in the front row this Saturday to show their support. “I arrived at the opening of the doors to support my team,” says Nhael, 12, singing with all his heart “Issa Bella” from the start of the meeting. A little further, Gwladys, Carla and Léa shout at every opportunity until they no longer have a voice to “see their club win the cup”, as in 1997. “I was not there, I was not born “, admits Gwladys, 17 years old.
Mikele, he remembers the victory 25 years ago, even if he was “very small”. Today, he is 33 years old and has been with the stadium for 10 and a half years, with no missed matches. “I would have preferred to be in Paris but I was working this morning,” he explains. He then improvised himself as a “hall driver” and launched all the chants of the supporters over the megaphone throughout the meeting. At the end, his eyes a little moist, he prefers not to comment. But he says: “We will always be there for them and we will still welcome them as it should be”.