“Europe was the horizon”: Bollaert celebrated with fireworks and a tribute to the players of the workforce the return of Lens to the Champions League, which the artesian club secured on Saturday in beating Ajaccio 3-0.
No sooner was the end of the match whistled than carts carrying fireworks were brought onto the lawn, and a table filled with miners’ lamps positioned in the heart of the central circle.
One by one, the players came, surrounded by their families, to the center of the lawn to receive one of these lamps, symbols of the history of the mining area closely linked to that of the city of Lens.
With all the stadium lights off, a fireworks display was lit around 11:30 p.m., to the famous tune of the Champions League which will resonate again at Bollaert from next September, for the first time since the 2002/2003 season. .
Lensois supporters had not waited for this celebration and had already set off fireworks outside the stadium around 10:50 p.m., while the 38,000 spectators sang the Lensois victory song, “We have them chicotés”, initiated on Saturday by the president of the club, Joseph Oughourlian, in person.
The advertising screens around the stadium then displayed a sober “Victory”, while on the two giant screens was written “Europe was the horizon”, in reference to the phrase “The sky was the sky”. ‘horizon’ from the song Les corons by Pierre Bachelet, an anthem by Bollaert.