Marie Mahé, Media365: published on Monday October 7, 2024 at 4:20 p.m.
This Sunday, near the Auguste-Delaune stadium in Reims, a life-size statue of Just Fontaine, who died in 2023, was unveiled.
Just Fontaine was in the spotlight. This Sunday, a life-size statue of the legend of French football, and more particularly of the Stade de Reims club, was unveiled near the Auguste-Delaune stadium, the home of the Reims stadium. It is a bronze sculpture which was created by the Franco-Peruvian Juan Carlos Carrillo. The price is 200,000 euros. This sum was provided by the city of Reims, which was also able to rely on a total of 50,000 euros in donations following an appeal for patronage. This inauguration took place just before Reims received Montpellier (4-2), as part of the seventh day of Ligue 1. Just Fontaine died in 2023, at the age of 89. According to comments reported by AFP, Jean-Pierre Caillot, who is none other than the current president of Stade de Reims, declared that Fontaine “will always be our strength, that of a club, that of an entire city “.
Fontaine, fifth footballer to have his statue in France
During this ceremony, Arlette Fontaine, the widow of Just Fontaine, was notably present. Caillot also added: “This statue will be, for our players, our supporters and all football lovers, a daily reminder of what it means to be a great player and above all to be a great man.” This statue was placed just a few meters from that of another French football legend, and from the Stade de Reims, namely Raymond Kopa. This statue was unveiled in 2018, a year after the latter’s death. In France, Just Fontaine becomes the fifth footballer to have his statue. The previous four were Kopa, but also Jean Prouff in Rennes, Henri Michel in Nantes, as well as Raymond Keruzoré at Carhaix. Just Fontaine, a native of Marrakech, then a French protectorate, arrived at Stade de Reims in 1956 from OGC Nice.
