France-Côte d’Ivoire: whistles for Mbappé, first cape for Saliba and Guendouzi decisive passer … Six years later, the Blues have found Marseille – franceinfo

We play additional time when the Vélodrome stadium erupts. The 62,000 people present, Friday, March 25, in the Olympique de Marseille stadium celebrate the goal scored in the last moments of the friendly match between the France team and Côte d’Ivoire (2-1). But difficult to know if the supporters celebrate the first goal in selection of Aurélien Tchouaméni, or the decisive pass of the local of the stage, Mattéo Guendouzi. Since coming into play fifteen minutes earlier, the OM player has been acclaimed by the Marseille public at each of his touches of the ball. At the end of the match, he therefore participated in the tricolor liberation against the combative Elephants and offered the Vélodrome stadium new great emotions in Blue. Six years after the semi-final of Euro 2016 against Germany (2-0), the French team thus made its return to the lair of OM. A match that marked the players, the French public and the supporters present at the time. On the Prado roundabout, a stone’s throw from the Vélodrome, Kévin fondly remembers this meeting before the start of the match against Côte d’Ivoire. “One of the most beautiful atmospheres I’ve seen at the Vélodrome”, assures the supporter, OM tracksuit on the shoulders. “It’s one of my most beautiful memories in Blue”, assured Hugo Lloris Thursday. The Deschamps players were ready to try to relive the same emotions despite the lack of stakes in this friendly meeting. The issue, precisely, did not have the same flavor for the Ivorian supporters met earlier in the day on the Old Port. The latter was adorned more in orange than blue a few hours before the match. “It’s more than a friendly match for us. I think we can get on the level of the France team,” says Régis, an Ivorian student who came from Paris with a group of friends. The match proved him right, despite the defeat. Close to the Old Port, so few Blues jerseys. Antoine Griezmann, Karim Benzema and only one Kylian Mbappé, carried by Otman, 13 years old. “He’s a fan of him. But I told him not to put on the Paris jersey, because here, you never know,” laughs Abdel, his father, who offered his son the trip from Grenoble as a substitute. congratulations on his good grades. Like Abdel and Otman, the atmosphere was family last night at the Vélodrome. Less boiling than that of OM matches. Mbappé half-acclaimed, half-booed. Kimpembe’s name was booed, unlike Guendouzi’s. #FRACIV pic.twitter.com/QueQif00kE — Denis MénÉTRIER (@DMenetrier) March 25, 2022 It must be said that the Blues rarely come to Marseille: only five visits since the beginning of the century (in 2000, 2009, 2014 and two times in 2016 during the Euro). Difficult to retain OM supporters. “They don’t come here often, so it’s cool to be able to see them. There are France team shirts everywhere, it’s really weird”, is surprised Adrien, loyal to OM, in front of the entrance to the Jean Bouin stand before the game. His friend Florent, also a supporter of the Olympian club, expects the calmer atmosphere to benefit Kylian Mbappé: “We are not going to whistle him, but we are not going to applaud him either.” Mbappé, weakened by an ENT infection, did not finally come into play. But his name was half booed, half cheered by the public at the Vélodrome stadium when the team compositions were announced. And each of his appearances on the stadium’s giant screens was widely hailed by the public, won over to the cause of the OM players. There will have been Guendouzi, therefore, decisive at the end of the match. And William Saliba, who entered the pitch earlier, on the hour mark to replace Raphaël Varane. William Saliba replaces Raphaël Varane. for Marseille, in his stadium 1-1| #FRACIV | #FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/BQ2p57zhhx — Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) March 25, 2022 “When Saliba and Guendouzi come back, the stadium will explode”, assured us Nicolas, OM supporter, in front of the Jean Bouin grandstand. Saliba experienced a very special first selection, to the cheers of the Marseille public at each of his touches of the ball. “I thank all the supporters, it made me feel good, it made me happy, it gave me confidence. A lot of pride and emotion, especially at the Vélodrome, at home”, reacted Saliba after the game. Cheers that “boosted, rather than hearing whistles”, commented Didier Deschamps. And because we were in Marseille and we had to whistle a Parisian, while Kimpembe and Mbappé remained on the bench, the public booed Adrien Rabiot, trained at PSG, when he entered the game. Only a few minutes before an exhilarating end to the match and “an important communion with the public”, underlined Hugo Lloris in a press conference. Six years later, the Blues have provided the essentials by winning and will once again have good memories of Marseille.