“The Coupe de France is the most beautiful of cups, with a communion of supporters. That’s football. (…) But here we are talking about playing in an empty stadium. There would be no more of flavor “, recognized Roland Romeyer May 2 in the team. Then the chairman of the board of AS Saint-Etienne saw his colleague Bernard Caïazzo follow suit. Since then, the two Stéphanois leaders have been taken over by the boss of the FFF, Noël Le Graët, and today seem inclined to play their final of the Coupe de France behind closed doors, reluctantly. The financial stakes (notably in TV rights) have surely calmed the Stéphanois, but their initial refusal testifies to the importance of the supporters for such a match, much more than for a simple championship match.
No party without supporters
During this interview, Roland Romeyer developed his point of view: “I can’t imagine for a minute that we play it without our supporters. It will not pass by ours. Saint-Étienne, without its supporters, is no longer Saint-Étienne. For me, it is not possible to play it without them ”. And indeed, it is difficult to pass for many lovers of the Greens, like Arnaud, subscriber to the North kop: “I don’t see how you can play a final without an audience. For the championship, if need be, you will have to accept to play matches. But a final is supposed to be a party in the stands and on the field, it’s anything but a classic match ”.
Rare thing: Lyons supporters even agree on this subject with their Stéphane rivals, like Lucas, a regular at Groupama Stadium: “More than any other match, a final is played with supporters. Football normally has no reason to exist without its audience. It’s the basis of football as we know it ”. On the Paris side, supporters may be used to the finals for a few years, but they also share this opinion. However, like Antoine, member of the Collective Ultras Paris, we must resign ourselves: “It is the current context that makes there are only rotten decisions, not good answers. We must opt for the least bad solution. If it is possible to play them on neutral ground, behind closed doors, it will be extremely sad, but for me it is possible ”.
to see also
It happened on May 8, 1996: Paris St-Germain has a European Cup!
In essence, the finals are exceptional matches, which both players and supporters dream of. Not to attend would obviously be a heartbreak for the most fervent fans, but it would also affect the purely sporting aspect of the match. “I think it’s harmful for the game to play it without an audience, because to win a trophy the audience helps. Especially when you have to beat Paris”, Says the Lyonnais Lucas. He pursues : “I don’t know if we can say that we would have less chances with our supporters, but we would have more chances with our supporters. For players, it’s complicated to transcend in an empty stadium ”. Stéphanois Arnaud approves.
Sacrifice the European Cup?
Another important point is the qualification for the winner of the European Cup. If Lyon and Saint-Etienne win their final against PSG, they will compete in the Europa League. However, for this, the matches must take place quickly, so behind closed doors. The question then becomes: should we prefer to play the final with the public, so later, and say goodbye to the European Cup? “Yes, clearly, Arnaud slice. I give up European qualification without hesitation ”. Again, we have an agreement between Lyonnais and Stéphanois, since Lucas abounds: “I would prefer to put an end to the European Cup and play the final with an audience”. Not sure that its president, Jean-Michel Aulas, shares this opinion.
On the Parisian side, the question does not arise, the club being qualified for the Champions League via the championship. So, inevitably, in the Parisian camps the prospect of behind closed doors is more easily accepted. “If it’s possible to play them on neutral ground, behind closed doors, it will be extremely sad, but for me it is possible”, Ensures Antoine, while specifying: “We too are disappointed because there was a great match in the stands against the Stéphanois, it was also a beautiful remake of the 1982 final, that of the first Parisian title”.
Advantages, inconsistencies and spectacle despite everything
Like the Parisians, little by little, all the fans are resigned: the cup finals may well be played behind closed doors in early August. If the absence of supporters disturbs everyone, the programming in early August has some advantages in the eyes of supporters of Lyon and Paris, especially in view of the resumption of the Champions League in August. “Of course it can make a good preparation match to get back on track before getting boned in the Champions League against teams that have already resumedSays Lucas. Supporter of Paris, Rudy shares this point of view: “We are going to use all the matches to get the most out of C1. And for this purpose, playing two finals just before is interesting because they are high intensity matches, like the C1 “.
However, these few advantages do not hide the inconsistency denounced by some, including Sofiane, supporter of Lyon: “It is illogical because on the one hand the LFP decides to stop the season, but on the other hand they still want to play the final of their cup. In terms of consistency, it’s difficult to continue one competition and not the other ”. Lucas completes: “We stopped the championship, why not the cups? Under these conditions the finals no longer really make sense, the cuts are already obsolete”. In Saint-Etienne, Arnaud even proposes to denounce the ridiculousness of this situation by a symbolic act: “They just have to go with the U18s and have a pathetic match. I will be president, I would play it like that, like Pape Diouf, to protest ”.
Failing to be in the stands, the show should however be on the lawn. The absence of supporters will obviously weigh on the debates, but the sporting issues will always be the same. For Lyon and Saint-Etienne, there is a first trophy to go to look for in years, and a qualification in European cup unexpected after the missed seasons of the two clubs. And even for Paris. “We have a revenge to take: we did not win these two cups last year. The players must have been stung in their pride. I think the players will play them thoroughly, despite the context ”, warns Antoine. Play them thoroughly to be forgiven for supporters … who will not be able to attend. Therein lies the paradox of these finals, which will no longer be true.