'France needs to polish its image' ahead of Rugby World Cup & 2024 Paris Olympics
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00:00 Well, finally here this evening in Paris, Nantes are about to take on Toulouse in the
00:05 French Cup final at the Stade de France, but there are several important talking points
00:09 away from the pitch to discuss, including a unique protest at Macron's pension reform.
00:16 To help us understand what's at stake, I'm joined in the studio by France 24 sports maestro
00:20 and editor James Vecina, as well as Eurosports Ruben Slachter, who joins us via Skype.
00:26 Ruben, I'm going to start with you from what you've seen of the protests so far.
00:31 What do you make of them?
00:33 Well, we're now just waiting what will really happen, because there's a lot of stuff going
00:39 on around the stadium right now.
00:40 We have seen that there was an idea to be whistling and showing a red card on the 49th
00:46 minute, referring to the famous 49.3 law of Macron.
00:53 But we are now informed that those red cards and whistles have been taken by security.
00:58 So we will see what will happen during the game.
01:01 We also know that when you say to football supporters not to do something, that they
01:05 will do exactly the opposite.
01:07 So yeah, it's let's wait and see during the game.
01:11 And James, you see those live images that while Ruben was talking about with those fans,
01:16 obviously, there was the Champions League final.
01:19 That was the last major footballing event to take place there.
01:22 That was back in May last year.
01:25 Now what we've anticipated with this, what do you make of the way that fans are being
01:30 treated from those images that you can see?
01:33 Well, I think even further from the images is what's going to be going on inside the
01:36 stadium, because the main point that has been going on is that the Centreforce has taken
01:41 the decision to put those fences up in front of some of the stands.
01:46 That sends a very clear message.
01:47 It brings a pretty hostile environment for fans, whether you like it or not.
01:52 We know that we're going into this with I mean, it's a pretty, pretty tense atmosphere.
01:56 Obviously, it's a cup final, but also for the other reasons as just mentioned, but you
02:01 go into there as a fan and you put there inside a cage, which on top of that has spikes on
02:06 the top.
02:07 It's not telling you that, you know, you're very you don't feel that welcome there.
02:10 Or at least you're being made to feel as though you are a threat.
02:13 So outside of that, outside the psychological side of the fences, there's also obviously
02:19 the logistical bits, which is we don't need to recall.
02:23 I mean, we should, but hopefully, you know, there's nothing these things shouldn't happen.
02:28 But the disasters that have happened in football stadiums very often have been due to fences
02:31 like this, obviously, the like of Heysel, like of Hillsborough.
02:36 And this really just it's something that you can't forget.
02:39 So when you see fences like that, any football fan gets scared.
02:41 We're told those fences can come down if needed.
02:44 But then in that case, why put them up?
02:46 Exactly.
02:47 What do you make of that French policing style for football matches?
02:51 If I may just jump in on the on the fences, because I've worked quite some time for the
02:55 stadium as well.
02:56 So I know a bit about the fences and they only put them up for the high risk games,
03:01 which we can also say that to lose not is not a high risk game.
03:05 It's a high risk game because my call is there and because they're afraid of people want
03:09 to get on the pitch.
03:10 That's the only reason.
03:11 But if there will be an emergency, we can think about the first of November when the
03:15 fences, if I'm not mistaken, were also up before France against Germany.
03:20 They will take them down straight away.
03:21 So it's I completely understand the hostile environment, etc.
03:26 That's clear.
03:27 But they in terms of security, they know what they do.
03:31 Sorry, what was what was the question?
03:34 The question, Ruben, is, is have you seen a change in the policing style of the French
03:39 police now ahead of this match?
03:41 And what do you make of French football policing in general?
03:45 Yeah, we've had the discussion before.
03:47 I remember also after that, after that famous Champions League final last year, you can
03:52 see that there is a lot of well, they don't really know how to handle it.
03:57 It's also because they're it's changing all the time what they have to do before the game.
04:03 We have been told that there that there was no protest was was possible.
04:09 Then there came the point, I think four hours ago that we heard that it was possible.
04:14 Now that we're taking in again, those guys, it's the famous French organization of a football
04:19 game.
04:20 But we also have to say that it's in one year we'll have the Olympics in in in France with
04:26 a lot of main events in the state of France.
04:28 And this is not giving a good sign to the world how how to organize a sport event, in
04:32 my opinion.
04:33 That's it.
04:34 And this is why obviously this game is going to be watched not just in France, but obviously
04:37 if there is anything, just any kind of slight amount of scuffles or whatever, this is going
04:44 to be picked up on and it's going to be looked at very, very closely because this is France's
04:47 image that's at play.
04:49 It's a big game since last last year's Champions League, which we know how that ended.
04:54 And of course, our team was there.
04:55 The ground was in the middle of that at the time.
04:57 It was hard for journalists, obviously, there's anyone going.
05:01 But France needs to polish its image basically and show that it is capable of holding big
05:05 events like this in the state of France again ahead of the Rugby World Cup and of course
05:10 of the Olympics, as Ruben mentions.
05:11 So what are you hoping happens here, James?
05:13 Well, we're going to hope that it's going to be a calm night, as calm as it can be.
05:16 Obviously, the bow isn't only going to be on the on the grounds.
05:19 It's going to be also in in within the stands, as we've seen, especially for Emmanuel Macron.
05:24 I think that's where things are going to stand, are going to be ready for him.
05:28 We've heard that he's not going to be going down onto the pitch to greet the players,
05:31 nor to hand up the cup after that.
05:34 So for Macron, it's going to be about hoping that things don't, well, for anyone, that
05:39 things don't overflow after that.
05:41 And Ruben, final question.
05:43 Back to the football.
05:44 What do you expect the result to be?
05:47 It's quite a strange final because Nantes had a defiant defending champions and had
05:52 quite a great season in the Cups, also in Europe.
05:55 But in the League 1, they are disastrous and they're almost being relegated.
05:59 So there's quite a lot of things going on in Nantes.
06:02 Toulouse is a completely different story.
06:04 They are for a few years now, they are constructing a team and they're doing a fantastic job.
06:08 So if you look, honestly, who deserves it more, I think Toulouse.
06:12 I think that Nantes also because all those fans that will be there with them, maybe it
06:17 will give them a little bit extra.
06:19 But if I would choose, if I have to choose one team, it will be Toulouse tonight.
06:23 Toulouse and one score prediction, James?
06:26 No, I mean, look, I'm going to.
06:29 I think it would be a beautiful story for Toulouse to win.
06:31 Let's see some goals on both sides.
06:33 I think we'll be happy with that.
06:34 And maybe, you know, an extra one for Toulouse would be beautiful for them.
06:37 Great story for them.
06:38 It's been so long.
06:39 We'll see.
06:40 We'll see how it does transpire.
06:41 Ruben Slachter, James Vecino, guys, thanks so much for joining us.
06:44 And of course, we will have that result for you for the game following the match here
06:47 on France 24.
06:48 That's the news for now.
06:49 We'll be back with you in a couple of minutes.
06:51 Thanks, guys.
06:52 Bye.
06:53 Bye.
06:53 Bye.