By Luc Chatel
Published on
As soon as the event was revealed, it received a lot of comment from Stéphanois on social networks, with a majority to support him. Yet it is in all illegality that on Sunday February 28, dozens of people participated from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in a soccer with a barbecue at the City Stadium of the Cotton, in Saint-Etienne.
Among those present was Ryad (his first name has been changed to preserve his anonymity), 30 years old, resident of the Cotton, whose friends are the organizers of the event. “Their goal was just to enjoy the sun and be able to relive for a bit of everything we were forbidden to do. By respecting the sanitary rules and the curfew“, He explains to Saint-Etienne news.
Football tournament between neighborhoods
And he seems to have enjoyed the event. “It was great, there were several neighborhoods in Saint-Etienne,” he says. It showed that we can all come together, from any neighborhood and that everything is going well. “
Romain (his first name has been changed to preserve his anonymity), 21 years old and from the Cotonne, also took part in the event. ” It was a football tournament between teams from Saint-Etienne, ”he explains. Many neighborhoods were represented: Hot Coast, Montreynaud, la Romière, Solaure, Black land, Bergson, the Ricamarie, as well as the neighboring town of Firminy.
“The tournament was played with 16 teams of 6 players, most of whom were 17-18 years old, but there were also older ones,” said Romain. And it was Montreynaud who won in a final against the home team, La Cotonne.
Distribution of masks and gel
When asked about compliance with health measures against Covid, Romain does not evade. “There was a barbecue, but everything was organized in accordance with sanitary rules,” he emphasizes. There was a table with distribution of masks and of gel. “
Ryad made the same observation. “Almost everyone wore masks,” he reports. Moreover, policemen came and saw it too. That’s why they let us continue. “
Why can’t we play like ASSE?
Romain compares this tournament with other situations, legal but not necessarily healthier: “When you take the bus or The tramway in the morning at 7:30 am, it is often crowded! “
And he makes the comparison with the pro team of the Greens to ask for a little more flexibility. “When there is aASSE, they are 11 against 11. Why can’t we play 5 against 5 matches? He asks.
Saint Etienne. A giant barbecue brings together a hundred people #Saint Etienne # Regions https://t.co/SpSKOjaefW via @West France
– pasibette (@pasibette) March 3, 2021
Ryad and Romain have the same last word: “Everything went very well, it was a wonderful tournament and it would be nice to be able to do it again as soon as the weather is nice. “
On the institutional side, whether it is the prefecture, of the town hall or the police, no comment on the event was made.