« Arsenal, Arsenaal, Arsenaal »Can we hear to remember a few minutes from the kick-off of the Champions League semi-final between the GunnersAnd PSG last Tuesday. We are not at the Emirates Stadium or in a London advertising, but The Lions a bar located at 153 rue du Chevaleret, in the 13the district of the French capital. That evening, there are a little less than 300 Frenchies Gathered to support their team, Arsenal, in the city of their evening rival, PSG. A beautiful irony, but not a surprise: we may speak here of the most French of English clubs.
The Lionhas become a gathering place in Paris, as there can be others. “” J’had bought a bar in rue Montmartre which belonged to an Englishman. When he was younger he played the academy d’Arsenalreplaces Jean-Pierre Berthau, owner of the establishment and fan of… Liverpool. He injured himself so he couldn’t make a career, and then bought this bar in Paris. He had federated an association of arsenal supporters, so when I bought the bar I continued on its momentum. And when I sold in 2013 and bought in stride here, I continued the tradition and all the supporters followed me! »
I was looking for the French players who were hitting at the time on the Play 1.
Everyone has their story with Arsenal, their good reason for falling in love with a team that you cannot go and see the stadium playing every two weeks. “” I was looking for the French players who were hitting at the time on the Play 1. So I started playing with Arsenal, and thread I watched on TV and I liked it», For example, puts Erwann, 28, while waiting for his pizza. “” I have supported the club since the invincible period. Especially since there were a lot of French people with big names! Share Hussein, just thirty. “” My brother was playing Pes 2004 at the time, so I discovered football, Arsenal and Thierry Henry “, Pursues Claire, before being cut by a” We are Mikel Arteta’s army Launched to heat the bar.
In this bar like everywhere in France, many of them present the 2003-2004 season as the starting point for their passion for Gunners. An era at which Arsenal could count on seven French players in its workforce, from Titi Henry via Robert Pirès or Patrick Vieira, without forgetting the conductor, Arsène Wenger, who arrived in 1996. More than scattered fans, it is a full -fledged community, often known asFrench Gunners. Hussein talks about a ” family ” When Gaspard says he came alone ” so as not to be with his friends fans of PSG ».
The quest for the pilgrimage to the Emirates Stadium
These arsenal enthusiasts, often mocked by the followers of « support your local team », have the choice to find a family, and therefore between two official associations, Arsenal France and the Arsenal Support Club de France (ASCFR). Created in 2004 by a small group of friends on the Valenciennes side, the latter is now recognized by the Arsenal club. “” The club provides us with places for each home game. It is very limited, in general it is four or five per meeting explains the president of the association Vincent Arfeux, in office for a dozen years. From there, we choose who we grant these tickets. For example, someone who has already gone to the stage, we will not favor him in favor of a supporter who has never set foot there. TV is good; The stadium, when you can, is even better. An advantage that benefits more than 250 members, a limited number to try to share each of the services offered.
In the end, we are passionate about the club, for the identity it gives off.
These are the drawbacks of a distance relationship, you have to find ways to live your passion otherwise by being able to regularly support your small protégés. For non-bodies at the Emirates Stadium, it is preferable to be a Red Membershipmembership of 40 euros per year facilitating the purchase of tickets. “” JHe went to the Emirates Stadium four times to the Red Membership program. The last time was for Arsenal-Brighton (1-1). I had gone round trip during the day from Paris!“Says proudly Erwann.
Partly thanks to this program, Hussein made ” 17 trips for 0 defeat. My last match? The 2-0 victory against PSG at the start of the season“He rejoices. If some lucky people were able to realize their kid’s dream, “It is still a non-realized objective after twenty years of supporterism For many, like Salah, 29 candles. For the oldest of them, there are Loïc, 53 years old who transpires forGunners Since the end of the 90s. London living at the time, he went not to the Emirates Stadium, but in the exemption of Arsenal before 2006, “Highbury, where I transmitted this love there to my two sons! They are now even more fans than moi“Says the father of the family happy.
No Frenchies ? No problem
It is however no longer the arsenal veryfrenchieof the 2000s: Arsène Wenger has left for seven years, like Olivier Giroud, and William Saliba is today the only tricolor heir to theGunners. No reason for these supporters to abandon the London club. “”When Wenger left, it affected me a lot, but the love he gave me for Arsenal was so strong that he did not change“Says Hussein. Vincent Arfeux confirms. “” Au Final we are passionate about the club, for the identity it gives off.This singularity is particularly what Gaspard likes: “The fact that many French people have left absolutely does not bother me, on the contrary. I like to see little young people from the training center who come out with an English soul. »
And the youngest, then? Why love Arsenal when we have not known these beautiful years and this proximity to France? In the crowd atThe Lionthere are not only thirties or quadras who knew the last title of champion of England, in 2004. Others are younger and had to settle for two trophies over the last ten years (two FA Cup in 2017 and 2020) and some campaigns in the Europa League, including that concluded by a lost final against Chelsea in 2019 (4-1). “”Basically I am a big fan of Mesut Özil so when he joined the club in 2013, I started to followreplies Alexandre, 17.I really liked the game offered, and now I’m still so invested. »
Same observation for Tom, 20 rods: “I had started to follow around 2015 with the French band. This is the club that my grandfather supported. So on weekends when I was going to his house I was in front of the TV and I started to be interested.Ten years later, this passion materialized by a trip to London last December for an old 0-0 against Everton. “” Support the club when he wins almost nothing? This is where we recognize a real supporter, it’s when he’s there when it’s not going“, He says.
A kif that is also lived on social networks for some. Lounès, 22, is part of a group of five at the head of the X @Arsenalfansfr account, more than 134,000followersOn the clock: “It goes back now! I was 17 I wanted to transmit this passion to the greatest number. Since then I have also been active for the YouTube channel of the account, it’s always cool to exchange between supporters.Some will be at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday for the semi-final return against Paris Saint-Germain; others will return toThe Lionin the 13the borough ; Still others will bore their nails in front of their TV or let off steam with the chirping community with the very active community on the networks. With the hope of seeing Arsenal playing a second Champions League final on May 31 to perhaps seduce a new generation of French people who will becomeFrench Gunners.PSG-Arsenal: two new Gunners at the infirmary?
