France defeated World Champions 2014  Germany 2-0 and that should be cause for celebrations and joy from  the French supporters, but this victory was overshadowed by three explosions outside of the Stade de France leaving  not only the fans but the whole French nation shocked  by the terrorist  actions, a “War declaration” dixit President Hollande,  for the stadium was only the first of many other  fatal attacks in France’s capital.

The French president, a football fan himself was there too, but left after the first half, leaving the journalists puzzled, searching information  using the  stadium’s overworked wi-fi. Here the event as it  happened :

The game was scheduled at 9 o’clock(local time); all the blocks were full of joyful supporters mostly  French but also a big number of Germans ready as always to support their team. It was Friday evening, the temperature was ok for  November, what  a good opportunity  for a family outing;  a great number of very young children and teenagers  were waving  their flags while  singing  La Marseillaise.

The game started well; both teams were actively trying to score an early goal, but only 17 minutes later,  the whole stadium heard the first bomb, even felt  the vibration  for those who were seated near the East end; it wasn’t  the sound of a firecracker, so the fans thought that it was “une bombe agricole” a noisy home -made bomb banned from the French Football Federation, but  alas still used by some stupid so-called football supporters. Two minutes later, while Les Bleus were trying to breach the German defense, another one, louder this time was heard puzzling players, journalists and many of the spectators. Nevertheless it was quickly forgotten as France scored (Giroud) just before the end of the first half. The third bomb exploded minutes later but no one heard the  bang.

Only the journalists who saw President Hollande leave the official lounge understood that there was “something wrong“. The secret was well kept; only France’s manager Didier Deschamps knew about the three bombs and the killings in several Parisian places, but he and the FFF president Le Graet decided not to tell the players and play the whole second half, thus keeping the 80.000 supporters safe into the Stadium.

So the second half  began normally,  but soon lots of people knew about the hostages and the killings and began leaving the place 15-10 minutes before the end of the game, missing France’s second goal(Gignac).

When the referee whistled the end of the game, the players still clueless applauded the public, but when they went back into  the tunnel,they stayed motionless watching that night’s horror live on the tv screens. After match press conferences  and interviews were canceled,  the players stayed inside at the players lodge watching TV broadcasts and calling their families. Two of them were more concerned than their team mates; Lassana Diara( Marseille) lost his cousin in a bistrot’s random shooting  and Antoine Griezmann(Athletico Madrid) had to wait many hours before learning that his young sister who was at the Bataclan theatre was found alive and well.

The German team weren’t allowed to leave the stadium, for it would be dangerous to go to their centre situated Parisian Hotel; their French colleagues wanted to stay with them but the FFF decided to take them back to Clairefontaine, France’s training centre, many miles away from Paris in the Rambouillet forest.

The Stadium speaker announced that several issues were closed due to an”insident” and asked the spectators to stay  cool and leave the place quietly using the open to the public gates. I should be nicely done, but  that’s without counting with human nature’s unforeseeable ups and downs. Was it a firecracker unwisely blown or just a rumor about shootings near the metro station ? The crowd went running back into the stadium, only to stampede with the spectators on their way out ! Many of them fell down, children lost their parents and in fine the speaker asked them to go on the pitch, where they stayed almost  an hour  untill they got the green light to leave the Stade de France. So they did, but they didn’t leave quietly; La Marseillaise was sung with love and also defiance to would be terrorists: ALLONS ENFANTS DE LA PATRIE ! Police sirens and flashing blue lights were their orchestra and the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge flags their witnesses.

The terrorists attacked peaceful, fun loving people, football’s fans who love their team and love to spend time together; do they really think that they can scare them, by using bombs or firing their Kalashnikovs ? They’re going to have their answer very soon  in England’s wonderful stadium of Wembley. #PrayForParis #NotAfraid

Highlights HERE

Categories: Analysis, EURO 2016, news

Tags: Euro 2016 Friendies, France vs Germany Euro 2016 friendly