Nice is very fortunate even though it will probably have to change the name of its Promenade des Anglais: it has indeed inherited the most exciting of the Euro Round of 16 matches between the Icelandic underdog (the island has the same population as Nice, not even the metropolitan area…) and the English giant, one of the major nations in football.
With my teammate Fabien, we first incredulously witnessed the victory of the very demonstrative Icelandic supporters over their English counterparts, even though they were four times as many. Then came the northerners’ victory in the actual match, which they dominated head and shoulders with simple, direct play and a lot of determination.
On the return journey, the dismay of the supporters on the Pignes train spoke volumes about the shock caused by this unthinkable result.
In the end, it was a beautiful spectacle to complete the undoubtedly successful Euro sequence in Nice. It probably wasn’t enough to offset the cost of a stadium that will weigh on several generations, but it was still a small joy.
Patrick Mottard
