French Football Cup. Practical information, safety: everything you need to know about Obernai-Metz

What has this week been like for the club?

From November 4, a few days after the draw, the committee met to prepare the event while not knowing, at the time, if the stadium could accommodate it or if it would have to migrate to Molsheim. Meetings have multiplied, internally and with the authorities (French Football Federation, security services, City etc.). The constraints being enormous (the specifications are more than 80 pages) and the club having never organized such an event, the volunteers carried out a colossal job.

How many volunteers will be mobilized?

On the day of the match, 200 volunteers will be present. The club, which has just over 300 members, mobilized its players, from young people (outside football schools) to seniors, as well as parents. It will be necessary to provide orientation, manage entrances, secure the surroundings of the pitch during the match, pick up the balls, man the refreshments, etc.

Beforehand, a smaller group of around twenty people prepared everything.

Each member of the staff quickly put their particular skills at the service of the group. “We strongly felt the complementarity and cohesion of the group,” indicates Audrey Schimberlé, volunteer general secretary of the club, who works as director of the community of communes of Pays de Sainte-Odile.

6 000 €

This is what the French Football Federation club received for its qualification to the 7^e round of the Coupe de France. He should also collect between €20,000 and €25,000 from ticket sales, as well as revenue from refreshment bars and financial assistance from the City to pay security costs. The City also mobilized twelve agents from the logistics and technical center, in particular for the careful preparation of the land (two agents collected tufts of cut grass on Wednesday) and to dismantle certain athletic equipment in order to ensure safety and quality of the shots for France 3. The municipal police will also be mobilized.

What atmosphere can you expect?

Only 15 of the 3,000 tickets did not find takers, which clearly shows the enthusiasm for this match. All were sold at the ticket office set up at the club house, mainly to people from the surrounding area. And ultimately there will be no Metz supporters. They gave up on Wednesday due to constraints imposed on them to avoid excesses.

On the Obernai side, a kop is planned, positioned in the area of ​​the billboard, facing the stand. “We launched a message on Facebook last Thursday and I got a lot of feedback from people motivated to participate,” says Lionel Heller, in charge of this aspect. Manager of the U14s and former player, he was already mobilized last year to liven up the stands during the Coupe de France match against Colmar.

This time, he admits to going into the unknown. A WhatsApp group has been created with around twenty people, but he specifies that all motivated supporters will be welcome.

Two megaphones and two drums are announced. Some prepared tarpaulins, flags and decorations. Lionel Heller has prepared songs, “inspired by those of Racing and Paris, which easily get into the head, so that people participate. I also printed 200 to 250 sheets with the lyrics.”

In the kop or not, the public is called to come dressed in red and black, the colors of the club. It will be placed around the stadium handrail, without barriers.

Constrained by organizational constraints, Obernai has not planned any particular activities. The U12s and U13s will accompany the players to the stadium before the match. A fictitious kick-off will be given by Lucien Kinnbacher, the treasurer, who took his first license from the club almost 60 years ago, and by the mayor Bernard Fischer, to thank the City’s efforts.

What security system is provided?

Even if Metz supporters will be absent from the stadium, around thirty police officers have been announced, around the stadium and in the city center in particular. The police want to prevent supporters from Metz, Nancy or Strasbourg, whose ultra groups are rivals, from coming into battle. It is also about “reassuring the population”, indicates the commander of the Molsheim gendarmerie company.

The stewards who usually secure matches at the Meinau stadium will be present and the club has set up an internal security service.

Two first aid stations manned by Civil Security will be set up.

Entrance will only be from the stadium car park, avenue des Charmes. The best thing to do is to come on foot, by bike, by bus (Station or L’O stop on the Pass’O urban network, free. Intercity bus station stop for lines 257 and 262) or by train.

To park, the closest car parks are those of the Europe school group (60 spaces), Charles-de-Gaulle (128 spaces), train station (62 spaces), Remparts (335 spaces), village hall (69 spaces) and aquatic area (150 places).

The gates open at 11:45 a.m., the aim is to allow everyone in for kick-off. Because with the searches, the club fears long queues. The rules that will be applied are the same as those for Racing matches at Meinau: excessively large bags, certain flags, smoke bombs, dogs, musical instruments, strollers, bottles and thermoses are prohibited.

To keep the public waiting, three refreshment bars (with pretzel, two kinds of beer, coffee, but no mulled wine) and a hot food stand (hot sandwiches, merguez, white sausages and snacks) are planned.

Sweet meals prepared by the youngest children and parents will also be offered, to finance a youth tournament in Munich.