This Tuesday evening, the bar Le Montbauron, in Versailles, was full. At the entrance to the establishment, Nicolas, the manager since 1998, kept repeating it at the start of the evening: “Sorry, we have no more room to watch the match. “And for good reason, it was one of the rare spots in Versailles where the semi-final of the Coupe de France once morest OGC Nice (Ligue 1) was broadcast live.
About 180 people were there. So much so that at the final whistle, despite the defeat of FC Versailles (2-0), the applause and cries made the place vibrate for long seconds.
On the first floor, in the middle of the billiard tables, among a hundred people is 55-year-old Alain. He came alone, club scarf over his neck. “It’s great what the team is doing so far,” he said. If he is present at Montbauron this evening, it is because he does not have Eurosport, the channel which broadcasts the match. He regrets that the city has not set up a broadcast on a giant screen, he who was present on the Place du Marché-Notre-Dame for the quarter-final once morest Bergerac.
A mythical bar and a match atmosphere
A few minutes before kick-off, the billiard sticks were put away, giving way to the atmosphere of match nights. The first applause is heard when the composition of FC Versailles appears on the screen.
Sitting on one of the room’s red benches, JB and his friends set the tone. For the first free kick in favor of their team, they launch “Versailles, Versailles, Versailles!” to the rhythm of vibrating knocks at the table. The 36-year-old supporter confides that the club’s career is “a source of pride” for him.
If JB is present at Montbauron this evening, an establishment located 500 meters from the stadium of the same name, it is because “it is a legendary bar in the city, we are here for the atmosphere”. Next to him, his friend Clotilde, 27, came “to see the friends and support them in their passion”. Smiling, she confides that the first football match she attended, in front of a screen, was the quarter-final once morest Bergerac.
“Going to the semi-finals was already huge”
After half-time, the fans saw OGC Nice score one, then two goals. The atmosphere cools and the disappointment can be read on the faces. But it is the pride that animates the various Versailles supporters.
Alain, who has taken off his scarf, consoles himself “it’s a pity to have lost, but it’s a good course all the same”. JB and Clotilde abound: “We have nothing to be ashamed of. Going to the semi-finals was already huge. »
Even if the adventure in the Coupe de France stops at the semi-final stage, FC Versailles remains first in its group in National 2. A good reason to continue to follow the club: “We have ambitions, we want to go up in National » affirm JB and his friends.
