2023-09-22 02:27:14
In front of the Vélodrome stadium, 4 hours before the France-Namibia kick-off, a crowd in blue jerseys begins to gather. The organizer’s instructions, advising to come to the stadium early to avoid congestion at the start of the World Cup, were respected by these first arrivals. Like Caroline, Cynthia and Noémie, thirty-somethings from La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime) and Périgueux (Dordogne) with their friends who lingered at the bar.
“We’ve been following rugby since we were little,” say the young women. It’s a family story. Our spouses play rugby. We wanted to see a Blues match. We have already been to the Stade de France or to Ireland but there, we chose Marseille because we didn’t know them. We wanted to discover this city. And what’s more, there is the Pope arriving. It’s incredible. We’re going to take advantage of it. We stay all weekend. »
OM fans want to “change their minds”
The arrival of Pope Francis in Marseille, the day after this match, is the other “XXL event” which will shake up the Marseille city, believes Franck, France 2023 t-shirt on his back and World Cup cap on his head , manager of Food Inside, a restaurant with an American atmosphere which also sells liters of beer on its terrace right next to the Vélodrome. He will undoubtedly sell less to the faithful on Saturday than to Blues fans this evening. “But we brought in wine, soft drinks… People will drink too. »
“We don’t realize what the Pope represents,” he adds in front of his bar. He will come here in a popemobile, there are snipers on the roof of my building, faithful are arriving from all over the world… It must have been 500 years since a pope came to Marseille. We also don’t know what to expect. Football, rugby, we know, but there…”
“And it’s not just a crazy week,” explains Franck. Between the first weekend of the World Cup here, the XV of France this evening, the Pope on Saturday, South Africa-Tonga next week, two OM matches, two quarter-finals of the World Cup and the Olympico OM -OL to finish at the end of October… It’s been a crazy two months! »
“Our own mass is this evening! »
In this crazy program, the soap opera of OM, its ex-coach, its president and its Ultras, is ultimately just one adventure among others. The football club shop, open even for this rugby match, still attracts a few curious people. Philippe, 52, lives in Marseille and came to see France-Namibia with his OM jersey. “The OM situation… Pff, it saddens me a little,” he breathes. I came here to clear my mind and enjoy the rugby atmosphere. The match against Ajax, I’ll watch it when I get home. The Rugby World Cup isn’t every day anyway. »
An OM supporter, Philippe came to watch France-Namibia on Thursday evening. LP/Romain Baheux
While waiting for the Holy Father or the name of the new OM coach, the religion of the Vélodrome public on Thursday evening is the oval ball. “We come for rugby, and we stay a little this weekend. So no school tomorrow, smile Jean-René and Virginie, who came from Toulouse with their children Victor and Timéo. The coming of the pope? We’re not interested. Our own mass is this evening! » In communion with the XV of France.
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