Completely unexpected in the French Cup final, Nantes and Toulouse respectively dream of an incredible double or a first title in 66 years, on Saturday in Saint-Denis, 7:00 p.m. GMT), at a Stade de France under pressure sports and social
The night promises to be intense in the Parisian stadium: 78,000 spectators are expected with both teams mobilizing tens of thousands of fans motivated by a trophy that seemed unattainable at the start of the season due to the fierce competition in French football.
The clamor may be even more deafening due to the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron, who confirmed his attendance at the stadium. The Paris police prefecture on Friday banned all union gatherings around the stadium.
The union of unions of Seine-Saint-Denis has planned to distribute whistles and red cards to the spectators so that they express their rejection to the reform of the pensions.
But nevertheless it is possible that they will not have the opportunity to protest during the pre-match ceremony: according to a source close to the case, the Head of State will not descend on the pitch as usual. This information has not yet been confirmed by the presidency.
The security device is consistent with this event, with 3,000 police officers and gendarmes mobilized. The memory of the fiasco of the last Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid, marked by scenes of chaos around the Stade de France almost a year ago, is still alive with 15 months to go before the Olympic Games in Paris- 2024 and less than half a year from the start of the Rugby World Cup in September.
In addition, the ultra-Nantes and Toulouse groups do not have the friendliest relationship in the country.
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On the pitch, the challenge is immense. Respectively 16th and 12th in Ligue 1, Nantes and Toulouse have an appointment with history. As well as adding a prestigious trophy to their cabinets, a victory in the 106th edition of the Cup offers the winning team a ticket to next season’s Europa League.
Nearly 22,000 purple fans will travel to Paris 66 years after the only title in the history of the city of Toulouse, the 1957 French Cup, obtained at a time when Toulouse played with the colors red and white and in the who vibrated above all for rugby.
That title is the subject of contention between the club, which counts it as its own and includes it in its record, and the Federation, which attributes that edition to another “Toulouse FC”, a club that disappeared in 1967 before being refounded under the name of US Toulouse. in 1970.
For Nantes, the reigning Cup winners who are having trouble ensuring they stay in the championship, this final is an oasis in the desert. The yellow and green club fear that they are facing a mirage: if they lose the final and are relegated to Ligue 2, they will have lost everything in a matter of weeks.
The club’s history leaves room for hope: apart from the giant Paris SG, winner of six of the last eight editions, the last team that managed to defend its trophy was precisely Nantes, in 2000, 23 years ago.