“It is not every day that we can see matches: more than 150 people made the trip on Saturday to attend a day of the French championship of Cécifoot, near Bordeaux, five months after the coronation of the France team at the Paris Paralympic Games.
Under a sunny sky interspersed with showers, the spectators installed in the stands of the Robert Brettes sports complex of Mérignac encouraged the players, respecting the silence requested during the game phases.
Four level B1 matches (Blind 1, intended for players with zero or very low visual acuity) were disputed throughout the day between the UNADEV teams (National Union of the Blind and Visual Deafers) of Bordeaux , Toulouse Football Cécifoot, Schiltigheim and Bondy.
The captain of the Cécifoot de Bordeaux club, Frédéric Villeroux, before a training session in Mérignac, outside Bordeaux, January 30, 2025 / Christophe Archambault / AFP
“We had a CAP at the national media level”consider Yannick Le Colvez, coach of the UNADEV Bordeaux and guide for the French team of this handisport long stayed in the shadows.
“It is necessarily easier to make yourself known when you are a medalist of the Olympic Games. We have more audiences, the players feel their presence and it galvanizes them ”he welcomes himself.
The standard bearer of the discipline Frédéric Villeroux is surprised: “I didn’t think there was going to have so many people to support us, and this from 9:30 am this morning”.
“We continue the inheritance of disabledport. It’s great that the media is more closely interested in our discipline ”rejoices the star player and captain of the Bordeaux team.
The two games in the afternoon and a thank you ceremony for the Paris Paralympic Champions were broadcast live on France 3 Noa.
“This is an opportunity to relive a few games from the discipline”rejoices a spectator Yann Bourdères, urban planning student and “Handering passionate since the Tokyo Olympics in 2021”.
“We realize that these are real sportsmen”judge Alexandre Frechou, who has already lent herself to the game during an initiation with Frédéric Villeroux, “Humanly extra”.
Other spectators admit to being there “Out of curiosity”like Christophe Massieu, attracted by the facilities as he took his daughter to swimming. “I admire what I see”admits the father who had “Not seen a single match” This summer.
Her daughter Safia, 11, had practiced discipline at school. “We had a special banner and ball. It was very hard “.
(tagstotranslate) Football