Silent waves from spectators in a breathtaking setting at the foot of the Eiffel Tower and impressive action on the pitch. The images of blind football are creating a buzz and are giving the public a real treat.
“It’s great that these Games are giving this sport a boost,” rejoices Mathieu Chapuis. The Jura native, former goalkeeper for SR Delémont, is the man who made the Swiss blind football team possible.
“I studied at high school with a blind person between 2004 and 2007 and a few years later, in 2012, I was blown away by the Paralympic final between France and Brazil. That made me want to launch a project in Switzerland.”
Once the Swiss selection was created, Mathieu Chapuis became its coach and last bulwark. Because yes, the goalkeepers are the only two elements of each team not to suffer from any visual impairment.
“First of all, it would be almost impossible for a blind person to stop the shots, because they are precise and powerful. The players have a close-range ball handling similar to that of Lionel Messi and shoot quickly and without preparation,” emphasizes the man who is no longer part of the national team due to differences of opinion.
However, if the goalkeepers are sighted, it is for another reason. “They are the guides of the defensive zone, they give instructions to the defenders,” he explains.
In blind football, the playing surface is made up of three zones and each of them has its guide who can only give instructions in his part of the field. The goalkeeper for the defensive zone, the coach for the neutral zone and the offensive guide. Failure to comply with this rule results in a technical foul.
The goalkeeper position is thus open to everyone. Even Yann Sommer who recently retired from international football? “Absolutely,” laughs Mathieu Chapuis. “At the time, we dreamed of bringing him in for training. But he would have to adapt his game. The goalkeeper cannot intervene outside his zone which is two meters deep and one meter wide on each side of the post.”
The task is much harder than it seems. “Some people sometimes teased me by telling me that I had conceded a goal from a blind person. One of the goals I conceded in a tournament in Belgium was even broadcast on Téléfoot and people wondered if I was also blind. I then invited some goalkeeper friends to come and try it out and they all saw how difficult it was.”
On Saturday (8pm), France and Argentina will compete for the gold medal of the Games. A match for the title that Mathieu Chapuis will follow with a keen eye and a French heart, where he obtained his coaching diplomas at the time.
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