This Sunday, December 22, 2024, Union Saint-Jean, a small amateur Regional 1 club, is preparing to face the Ligue 1 giant, AS Monaco, at the Toulouse Stadium. With a record attendance expected and players determined to shine, this match promises to be a memorable moment for fans and players.
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Union Saint-Jean faces AS Monaco in the 32nd final of the Coupe de France this Sunday, December 22, 2024 at the Toulouse Stadium. This historic match pits the small amateur Regional 1 club against the Ligue 1 giant. The event arouses exceptional enthusiasm.
This Sunday noon, almost two hours before the match, around a hundred Union Saint Jean supporters go in a procession to the Stadium where they will welcome the bus of their team's players. They sing “the Coupe de France, we are going to win the Coupe de France!”
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Around a hundred Union-Saint-Jean supporters go in a procession to the Stadium where they will welcome the bus of their team's players.
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©Christophe Neidhardt -France 3 Occitanie
Around 16,000 tickets had already been sold on Thursday December 19, 2024, or half of the Stadium's capacity. 18,000 spectators are expected, thanks in particular to the sale of tickets starting at €10. “We followed the concept of TFC and it paid off“, rejoiced a member of the L'Union Saint-Jean club. 6,000 seats have already been sold in just 24 hours from the opening of the ticket office.
Amateur players from L'Union Saint-Jean are preparing intensely for this historic match, juggling their jobs. Larry Viltard, 34, works as a temporary worker in the building during the day and trains in the evening. “I'm in the trenches all day. In the evening, we go to football while they are having a massage“, he explains with humor. Despite the gap in level, he remains optimistic: “If we want to win, we'll have to have fun.“
To manage the unusual stress and media exposure, the team benefits from mental preparation sessions. David Panis, member of the club office, underlines the importance of this approach: “It's a party for everyone.
To read:Temporary worker by day, footballer by night, Larry Viltard ready to challenge the ogre Monaco: “If we want to win, we'll have to have fun”
The players are excited and determined. The idea is to transform anxiety into positive energy.”He adds: “It's a huge chance for them to have such hype. This may turn a few heads and serve them well in the future..”
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