Jonathan, a history student, got into the spirit of being a fan. Not such a football fanatic anymore, he still watched the first match of the French team at the Côté Cours bar in Old Nice. “Tricolor balloons, small flags bearing the emblems of the European nations present in the competition, giant screens and projectors. And then spectators waiting, so wild! That’s what I remember from this early evening.” The match begins.
Aurélie, a waitress in a bar in Cannes, explains that she missed the start of the match. “I’m disappointed. I was stuck in traffic. I couldn’t see the first actions.” Seated inside the Thor pub, she is surprised by the lack of space on the terrace. “It’s a shame because it’s nice outside. The problem is that the vendors take up a lot of space.” Oh yes, no break, even during the match!
Tara, a Romanian supporter, is surprised by the lack of decorations inside and on the facade of the pub. “It’s a shame that there aren’t any objects representing the Euro. It’s a party without colors!” Yet outside, warm hues adorn the Cours. Yellow, Orange, Blue. Shirts, pennants, accompanied by the distant sound of horns.
After a scoreless draw, the French are not amused.
Disappointed faces, disappointments. “From the first half-time, the atmosphere was tense,” says Jonathan. “Every missed action revealed a state of frustration. People seemed stressed, lacking in confidence. But I eagerly await the next match!”
The Out-of-Play Blue
Indeed, blue was not the ideal color. After the lackluster match by Les Bleus, the transalpine neighbors didn’t do much better. While the people of Nice are primarily French supporters, many hail from Italy and, therefore, support the Squadra Azzura.
An orange wave took over the Nice terraces. “A more enticing match, no doubt,” responds Mickaël, a Parisian on vacation. “And then an avalanche of goals! It’s funny because many people were behind the Netherlands. This works out well for us.” The goal average, that is, the goal difference, played in favor of the French as they found themselves tied for second with Romania.
“All the Italian supporters felt frustrated, even despondent. Conceding 3 goals in such a competition is never easy. We must admit, the Dutch played a fast, technical, and offensive game armed with powerful strikes. The missed opportunities by Italian player Luca Toni only exacerbated the general state of stress.”
In the end, a great evening in perspective, explains Marc, the manager of Thor. “There were a lot of people, a good atmosphere, calm customers.” He confirms that the pub will only be decorated from the Round of 16. “This year, we have added 2 display screens. Inside, there are 5 plasma screens and a television. In a few weeks, we will put up pennants and flags.”
From his office on the first floor, located behind the pub stage, Marc was able to follow the matches, including that of Les Bleus, on his small screen. “I was disappointed like everyone else. It’s a shame; we have a great team with talented players. But I have the impression they were paralyzed. They performed poorly.” However, when asked for his prediction, he responds: “France is going to win. No one expected them in the last World Cup. Yet, they found themselves in the final!”
