It is better not to wear the name “Guichard” to hope to enter inside the Groupama Stadium of Décines, the precinct of Olympique Lyonnais, on a derby night.
This was learned the hard way by a 19-year-old BTS student in Saint-Etienne, J. Guichard *, on Sunday evening when he thought he was attending the 120th derby in history.
Buyer on 1st February three tickets at 35 euros each for this gala meeting (for him, a friend, and the father of the latter), on the OL website, (“and in addition I had to create myself an account with the rival club ”), this supporter of AS Saint-Etienne subscribed to the Kop Nord in Geoffroy-Guichard will never see the lawn of the Lyon stadium.
One ticket passes, the others do not
“I had clearly seen that a prefectural decree had been taken on February 14 prohibiting the arrival of Stéphanois supporters in Décines. But I had bought the seats before and I told myself that I would go as a simple spectator, making myself as discreet as possible. “
Dressed in the most neutral way, (“we had nothing on us green or referring to ASSE, even for the car, we had purposely had a Corsican license plate”), the three friends, who left Saint-Etienne an hour earlier, arrive at the foot of the Groupama Stadium.
“There, we pass a first security barrier, and no problem. Then, the second, the guards search us and still no problem, we pass. ” But comes the last portico, inside the stadium. “There, my ticket turns red, and the barrier is blocked, like that of my friend. His father, he turns blue, and can access the tribune. “
It is at this time that the two individuals are redirected to the security chief who tells them, after verification, that they are Stéphanois and that they cannot be there given the prefectural order.
Sir, you were born in Saint-Etienne and in addition your name is Guichard, I believe that it will not be possible “
“We are sent to the ticket office but since there were Lyonnais everywhere, we preferred to play it discreet to explain the situation in which we were”. He then gives his identity card to the counter to have his ticket checked. “That’s where she said to me,” Sir, you were born in Saint-Etienne and your name is Guichard, I think it’s not going to be possible “. I thought it was a joke, but no. “
“She told me that an email had been sent to me saying that my tickets were canceled. I was watching at that time, and indeed, I had received it a few hours earlier, around 5:30 p.m., but I was on the road. It’s a bit late to warn, right? “
The match on the big screen
The young man, who had received this electronic message from Olympique Lyonnais telling him “that after analyzing his email address, it turned out that it had connotations referring to the club of AS Saint-Etienne or in the Loire department ”, is now waiting to be contacted for the reimbursement of his tickets.
“The highlight of the show is that we had to follow the match at the foot of the stadium, on the giant screen outside, while waiting for the father of my friend who was able to enter, while the three tickets were purchased at the same time and with the same name … “
* He did not wish to communicate his first name