The town of Bourgoin-Jallieu (Isère) is in full excitement as its match against OL approaches in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France this Wednesday, January 15. As part of the preparations, the stadium lawn has been carefully groomed, and the municipality plans to close several traffic and parking routes to guarantee safety.
It's the big day for Bourgoin-Jallieu (Isère). Qualified in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France, National 3 fans are preparing for an electric derby against Olympique Lyonnais, this Wednesday January 15 at 6 p.m.
A large-scale meeting which aroused spectacular enthusiasm. Supporters rushed to the Rajon Stadium ticket office, selling out the more than 6,000 available seats in less than three hours.
The preserved lawn
For the city, the event requires meticulous preparations, particularly regarding the lawn, usually dedicated to the local rugby club, and requiring special care due to the low temperatures of recent days.
“We were forced to cover the pitch because of the temperatures on Saturday. Immediately after the rugby match, the teams got to work until one in the morning to cover, preserve and have it in the best possible condition,” Aurélien Leprêtre, deputy in charge of sports at Bourgoin-Jallieu, explains to BFM Lyon.
“Generally, it's 8 to 9 hours of work the day before and 5 to 6 hours the day of the match. There is a big dismantling afterwards, because the truck has to leave as soon as possible to collect equipment in another stadium,” specifies Dominique Biobes, responsible for decorating the stadium.
Traffic restrictions
With the expected influx, the municipality had to redouble its efforts to secure the area. Despite the scale of the event, Aurélien Leprêtre assures that “operations are rather well run with the police, the prefecture as well as with the club.”
However, the safety features will impact traffic and parking throughout the city.
“Traffic will be complicated in Bourgoin-Jallieu this afternoon. I apologize in advance to motorists” apologizes Mayor Vincent Chriqui (LR), guest on BFM Lyon
The parking bans concern in particular Avenue du Stade and Avenue Tixier from 8 a.m. this Wednesday, as well as Place Henri Drevet from 1 p.m. For traffic, the rue du 19 mars 1962 is prohibited, while diversions are put in place via avenue Tixier and avenue du stadium due to the roads being closed from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
A fan zone to experience the event
The strictest restrictions concern Place Carnot and Rue Félix Faure, which are closed to traffic and parking between 12 p.m. and 10 p.m. These measures will make it possible to transform these places into a fan zone where supporters without tickets will be able to follow the match on a giant screen.
“We knew that not everyone could have places. We wanted the whole city to be able to participate in the party. There will be a lot of people in the cafes and bars, that's very good,” declares Vincent Chriqui.
This initiative particularly delights Frédéric, manager of the Bar des Halles located a few meters from the fan zone, who hopes to attract a large crowd by broadcasting the meeting. “It will start throughout the day. I think that the beginning of the afternoon will be very, very hot in the pedestrian street of Bourgoin,” he assures.
Optimistic, he concludes with his prediction: “Victory for Bourgoin, 2-1, that would be very, very good. Hoping that the adventure continues after this match. It will be difficult, but we believe in it.”
Jade Theerlynck with Alexandre Simoes
