Charles Guyard (correspondent in the West) / Photo credit: LOIC VENANCE / AFP
A gloomy pre-match. Two weeks after the tragic death of an FC Nantes supporter who was stabbed, emotions are likely to be strong this Sunday. Nantes returns to its stadium, Beaujoire, for the 16th day of Ligue 1 match against Brest. For the Loire Brigade, a group of Nantes supporters, the meeting takes place from 9:30 a.m., in memory of Maxime, 31, but also to say: “never again”.
“We really want to get back to our audience, to have an atmosphere that matches what this match is like, the match after.” The atmosphere is likely to be heavy at Beaujoire for this next match, as Jocelyn Gourvennec, the Nantes coach, says. After the death two weeks ago of Maxime, this supporter stabbed by a VTC driver attacked while he was transporting Nice fans to the stadium.
A drama that must raise awareness
Before going to the stands, Dylan planned to participate in a rally organized by the Loire Brigade, a group to which Maxime belonged. “I am a subscriber to the Loire stand. It will be quite special because it is someone from our stand who is simply murdered. We are all a big family, so it affects us all,” confides- he at the microphone of Europe 1. And beyond the tributes, this drama must above all awaken consciences, as hoped by Roland Menu, general secretary of Allez Nantes Canaris, a historic association of Nantes supporters.
“We must hope now that everyone is aware of what happened and that everyone thinks about it. As long as we find the football spirit again and everyone is having fun, let us drink the glass of friendship and above all that football becomes a party again. That’s the most important thing,” he explains. A party in which Brest supporters will not participate this afternoon, the latter having been banned from traveling to Nantes.