For nothing in the world they would have missed the only trip they had planned to support Stade Brestois in the Champions League this season. So when they discovered, on the evening of Tuesday, November 5, 2024, that their flight from Nantes to Prague scheduled for this Wednesday morning was canceled because of a firefighters' strike, Vivien and her father Pascal, and Rémi and his son Romain asked himself one question, just one: what to do? “It was 7 p.m. when we heard the news. We said to ourselves 'shit, it's not possible'”, says Vivien, present this Wednesday afternoon on the central square of the city of a hundred bell towers, a gathering place for Brest supporters in Prague. “I asked on our WhatsApp group if everyone was keen to take the car,” smiles Pascal.
“We really couldn’t miss it”
“And at 8 p.m., we left Gouesnou in a 308, heading to Prague for a 16-hour drive. I hadn't packed my bag, I hope I didn't forget anything at home, because it happened really quickly,” laughs Vivien. For Romain, “we must take into account the exceptional nature of the thing. We will only experience this once in our lives and it was not possible to stay like that, in Brest, without finding a solution.”
“We’ve been talking about this meeting since the draw,” Vivien adds. We were among those who had taken the plane and the hotel, but who, initially, had not had a place in the parking lot. We ended up finding some, so we really couldn’t miss it.”
Crossing Germany overtaking trucks
Arriving in Prague this Wednesday, November 6 at noon, the group of four passed through Rennes, Paris, Reims and Metz during the night. She also crossed Germany from end to end to end up arriving in the Czech Republic, Stade Brestois jerseys on her back. “There was quite a bit of fog on the road,” recalls Vivien. And in Germany, we only overtook trucks. We took turns at the wheel, but we didn't put any music in the car, because we wanted everyone to rest a little so as not to arrive too tired.”
“I said to myself that we were crazy for doing this, but we will talk about this journey in years to come. That’s quite an anecdote to tell! », breathes Rémi, a subscriber for many years at Stade Brestois. “Romain is my best friend. Our fathers introduced us to Le Blé together when we were 8 years old, during the Lérand era, Sergent, when it played in the CFA, still delivers Vivien. The Champions League, for us, is just incredible, it’s sensational.” Even if it means making 3,200 round-trip terminals. “We don't leave until Friday, without pressure this time. We will have time to visit the city of Prague, it looks superb,” they confide in unison. On foot this time.
