Like one man, the whole gallery rises. Smiling on the lips, the joy is immense for the fans of FC Versailles 78. For the first time in their history, they will reach the semi-finals of the Coupe de France. The seven-hour journey to Périgueux (Dordogne) and the 90 minutes to sing are rewarded, despite a tight score (1-1, 4-5 T.a.b.).
On the steps of the Francis-Rongieras stadium, the 54 people present on the bus are joined by regarding twenty supporters who have made the trip on their side. Among them, a dozen relatives of Kapit Djoco, FC Versailles striker, sole scorer in the previous round once morest Toulouse Football Club.
The city of Pré-Saint-Gervais (Seine-Saint-Denis), where he is from, chartered a minibus in which 28-year-old Zacharya and her friends took a seat. At the back of the stand, he explains that he follows his friend wherever he goes: “We support Versailles but the fact that he is in the team amplifies this feeling of belonging. »
“We are the king’s kop”
Forty-five minutes before the start of the meeting, the appearance of Paul Fauvel, son of the president of Bergerac, provoked the ire of the kop. They didn’t need any more to keep singing and drumming even harder.
At the referee’s whistle, the repeated chants on the bus begin to be sung. The tribune begins to tremble under the blow of the jumps, in chorus with the “Who does not jump is not Versailles” launched by Pierre, 42 years old, who holds the megaphone.
Defensive interventions, technical gestures, rough duels … Every action is a good excuse to shout, applaud and encourage. And don’t forget to yell at the referee when he delays blowing the whistle. The rusk is unanimously claimed following a foul by Bergerac in the fifth minute of play.
The chants in honor of the team and the city of Versailles follow one another. “This is us the king’s kop” is repeated many times. Clement and Nicolas, both 24, came dressed as a king. With a white wig on their heads and a blue flag with golden fleurs-de-lis on their backs, they “proudly” take on the history of the city.
Supporters who still want to dream
In the fifteenth minute, Diarrassouba’s opener made the whole stand exult. Fans approach the pitch to show their support for the Versailles players. But barriers and security stand in front of them. The match is definitely on and the fans don’t stop anymore. The clapping, “Aux armes” and other “allez Versailles” follow each other. At half-time, optimism reigns. Zacharia, euphoric, confides to have appreciated the performance of his friend Kapit Djoco, so far: “We are confident, we will continue to motivate them. »
During half-time, a banner “It’s not Versailles here… Turn them off! ” is deployed in front of the Versailles kop. It did not take more to revive the enthusiasm of the fans. “In terms of voice, it’s starting to get complicated,” admits David, who has abandoned the megaphone for the drum.
In the second half, Versailles is dominated by a Bergerac team that wants to get back on score. The red card of the number nine and the equalizer of Axel Tressens for Bergerac surprised the club’s supporters. The penalty shoot-out saw FC Versailles win. “Next year is the Europa League. We’ll go to Russia if we have to,” said the ever-determined supporters.
