Emmanuel Macron will be present at the Stade de France this Saturday evening for the final of the Coupe de France between Nantes and Toulouse. The head of state expects a very hostile reception with numerous protest demonstrations scheduled outside the stadium but also protest actions inside the enclosure by opponents of the pension reform.
As a result of this climate of maximum tension, security measures have been reinforced and the usual protocol modified. Emmanuel Macron has thus given up going to shake hands with the players as tradition dictates, on the lawn, a few moments before kick-off in the company of the president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo. But he will go well to meet Toulouse and Nantes a little earlier, away from prying eyes and expected whistles.
The Head of State’s entourage confirmed to Le Figaro that the meeting between the President and the two squads would take place in the hallways or locker rooms of the Stade de France: “While whistles are part of a certain folklore at the stadium of France, the President of the Republic has always respected the tradition of saluting players, which he has reinstated. However, this year, it is clear that certain politicians and trade union leaders want to orchestrate an event aimed at diverting the attention of the evening from the players, the match, the Cup, sportsmanship and on a political battle. The Head of State will therefore greet the players, as he has always done since 2017, before they enter the turf.
The French president will not hand over the Cup to the winner from the lawn either, as has been the practice for three years and the Covid crisis. The presentation of the trophy will take place in the presidential gallery, at the request of the Paris police headquarters, which fears an invasion of the field.
