In Artigues-près-Bordeaux, the stronghold of Aurélien Tchouaméni, a thousand people supported the local boy

« You have to put it there, Aurélien!” Four times, we got up, we jumped, we believed it: that the little guy from Artigues-près-Bordeaux was going to deliver the Blues with square feet for two weeks and make the evening at the municipal stadium even more symbolic. No problem: Aurélien Tchouaméni was once again one of the best in the French team this Monday 1^is July against Belgium and his renewed “seum” after ninety more than tense minutes.

5:30 p.m. After Mâcon for Griezmann, Grenoble for Giroud and Fougères for Camavinga, RMC radio has taken up its Euro quarters at the training club of one of the French players. And chosen Artigues-près-Bordeaux where Aurélien Tchouaméni grew up and quickly showed his extraordinary abilities. “A head taller than the others, technically impressive and an incredible vision of the game, at 6 and a half years old!”: on the artificial turf of Mirail, Sylvain Aufrère remembers the 8-year-old Aurélien that he trained at the football school alongside Nourredine Bahi, famous among other things for his motto “The game before the stakes.”

” Very stylish “

It was on the fields of Mirail and Lestrille that Tchouaméni, quickly outclassed, first won everything from U9 to U11. “A group of friends above all, united by football and who brought the parents together”, remember Bernadette Cazade and Nathalie Treussard, former educators at the Société de jeunesse artiguaise (SJA). The main memory remains the Panini Cup where, the little Artiguais trained by Vincent Louineau and after having eliminated Bordeaux in the regional final, finished third behind Paris and Lille, tied with Olympique Lyonnais.

It’s 6pm and the match is starting, more than a thousand people are in front of the medium-sized screen. “Tchouaméni is from here, oh yeah? Too good!”, sighs Corentin, a new 19-year-old from Artiguais who came with friends. “He rocks, this guy and I’m pretty happy to be from his city!” Since things are still seriously messed up up front, Tchouaméni takes responsibility from afar and with his powerful shot, without any more success. But it’s Aurélien so it’s okay. “It’s so cool that a player like that comes from here,” exclaim Lila Messaï, Evy Perales and Léane Drillon. “We were in kindergarten when he was in elementary school, right next door! It gives hope: we can do great things.”

“The most slabby!”

At half-time, in the clubhouse of FC Rive Droite, which is hosting the event with the town hall, journalists and columnists Riolo, Courbis and their ilk calmly analyse the first forty-five irritatingly ineffective minutes. The club and the community have had less than a week to organise a gathering of quiet fervour. The fries are good and the beer is cold under the marquees: the game can resume with Tchouaméni still as active as ever.

“He was already what he is today,” confides Alix Lavedrine, a teammate from his early years, who left with Aurélien and two other friends for the Girondins. The other three stayed for six months, Tchouaméni… we know the rest. “I’m a year older and wasn’t in his class but in football, he was already above him while remaining discreet. On the field, however, he was the most sluggish! I took him to the city stadium one day to play against 20-year-olds, we had 12: he moved them all.” A hunger and ambition that never for a second confined to the arrogance and forgetfulness of his first companions. “We send each other text messages regularly, I don’t want to overdo it but he’s there,” adds the 25-year-old financial auditor, who was still able to join him in the Matmut lounges at the beginning of June after France-Canada.

” My France “

“Well, that goal is coming, yes?!” Deschamps’ ears are ringing in Artigues too, in a stadium that has been named after the hometown hero for a week, via a decision by the municipal council. Local agreement between the opponent and historic leader of the SJA Claude Dauvillier, and the mayor Alain Garnier, whose son Lucas also played with Tchouaméni. Coincidence: the next day, RMC called the town hall to come and host “L’after-foot” in Artigues.

The 85^e minute finally, thanks to Vertonghen’s knee. A few minutes later, relief. RMC can replay the match for an hour before Portugal-Slovenia, for which the Portuguese-speaking community of the right bank of Bordeaux is expected. An octogenarian comes towards us: “You won’t forget to say that Aurélien Tchouaméni is of Cameroonian origin and that he makes us proud, eh?”, suggests Françoise gently. “My France, that’s it.” For the time of a match and memories, to still believe that the worst is not yet to come.