→ Corentin, president of the Dogues du Vieux-Lille, 17 years old at the time: “The pride of representing Lille”
We need to put things in context. Today, with the stadium we have, we prefer to play at home rather than at the Stade de France. At the time, we weren't in our stadium at all. It was being built, there were problems left and right. (The “Grimonprez-Jooris II” stadium will ultimately never see the light of day, Editor’s note.) It was still exceptional for us to go to the Stade de France, it was a chance. It doesn't happen every day for a club. It was a discovery with stars in our eyes, we were there as tourists, it was really extremely family-friendly. It is obviously always easier to play at home, in front of your supporters; there, in fact, it is the two teams which move away. The atmosphere is completely different, it's more of a traveling atmosphere. There was the pride of representing Lille, it was the reward for having followed LOSC blindly for more than ten years, because we had a shit team for a very long time.
It is extremely complicated, in terms of organization, to be able to coordinate a stand at the Stade de France.
What's complicated is that it requires taking a day off. Many parents made the decision to take their children despite the fact that there was school, because they considered this event to be exceptional. It is extremely complicated, in terms of organization, to be able to coordinate a stand at the Stade de France. You have to make your mark. This stadium and the way it is built does not necessarily lend itself to a big atmosphere. The following year, we played the C1 in Bollaert, and just thinking about it makes my heart ache.
→ Arnaud, Lille supporter expatriated to Brive, 31 years old at the time: “You’re confused when you arrive at the Stade de France”
I have family in Lille, but I live in Corrèze. I have always followed LOSC, we traveled a lot with my father, such as Bordeaux, Toulouse, Saint-Étienne or Lyon. To go to the Stade de France, it was my grandmother in Lille who had to get the tickets, it was an impossible mess. Seeing the Stade de France in LOSC colors was quite strange. The atmosphere grew crescendo from match to match, the time for the people and the kop to get their bearings. Manchester was euphoria, but the apotheosis was the third match, it was superb, even if it was 0-0. And what's more, it was Benfica, and there is a big Portuguese community in Paris. The stadium was full. Between the first and last match, it was nothing like the atmosphere. Going there during the day, if it had been Lille, it would not have been possible. I had cousins in Paris, we met on the square. You are disoriented when you arrive at the Stade de France. Going from Francis-Le Blé to that will be the same. It had been well done, there were the screens, we had our anthem, our announcer who created a fiery atmosphere. Afterwards, we came home at three or four in the morning, it was epic. It remains engraved.
→ Clément, subscriber to LOSC since 2002-2003, 9 years old at the time: “My mother didn’t want me to miss classes”
My mother didn't want me to miss class, so I only got to do one of the three games. I was happy because at 9 years old, you don't have the opportunity to play in many stadiums, it was magical to go and play in the biggest one in France, it's an unforgettable experience to be able to see there his club. I was like crazy. The Stadium, we still told ourselves that it was a temporary stadium, we weren't really attached to it. In addition, at the time, we had broken the attendance record for a French club in the Champions League (a first time with 66,000 people against Manchester, then a second time with 76,000 against Benfica, Editor's note)when we were afraid that there wouldn't be enough people. For Brest, there is also the distance that plays a role, many more people would not be able to travel, especially real supporters, veterans.
→ Théo, Lille supporter, 9 years old and expatriate in Montpellier at the time: “It would have been less of a problem in Bollaert”
All my childhood, I only saw Lille on the road, when he played in the South. The memory I have is when we arrive by car and see the Stade de France adorned with LOSC coats of arms all around, in fact we had taken a photo of it with the disposable camera. There was great pride. The Stade de France was the only way not to play for a rival club. You have the impression of having arrived very very high, on the roof of the country. At the time, you told yourself that you might never have the opportunity to play at the Stade de France again. We would have to go to the Coupe de France final, and even then, you wouldn't have the whole country with you. Milenko Ačimovič was my hero. The fact that the victory against Manchester United took place at the Stade de France contributed to this incredible memory. It would have been less of a blow to Bollaert. In 2008, there was a new LOSC match at the Stade de France, against Lyon, and we also went there. Lille and Brest are quite similar paths, because a few years before, we were still in Ligue 2, and we found ourselves there. Brest is the little club that everyone loves.
Matías Fernández-Pardo gives his preference to a selection
