France beaten in final: fans disappointed in crowded bars in Paris

The “Yellow Monkey” hope in front of three TV screens returned in the 80th minute. In the crowded hall of this bar on the rue de Lappe in Paris (11th), plunged into darkness, Kylian Mbappé greets the first goal with saving cries. Loudly repeating Allez les Bleus, young spectators, boys and girls, jump for joy, raising their hands up.

In less than two minutes, the walls shook from Mbappe’s second goal. “He who does not jump is not a Frenchman!” the fans shout, celebrating in their own way the equalizer (2-2).

emotional lift

In extra time, the third goal of Argentina was met with deathly silence. Moments later, he was shattered by Mbappe’s third achievement, which elicits cries of joy and warm support to the tune of “Allez les bleus!” The merciless penalty shoot-out definitely dampened the hopes of the French. Defeated mine, the audience did not even wait for the end of the relay to leave the bar.

Outside, they find less fortunate supporters in the calm, who, having found no seats in the cafe, watched the poor performance of the Blues from the street. Those gathered in front of the terraces caught a glimpse of the goals, their eyes fixed on the screens inside the bistro. The rest were content to watch the match on their phones… From 3:30 pm on the corner of rue de Lappe and rue de la Roquette (11th street), the La Rotonde café was packed long before the match started.

“Too many people, we’re standing outside”

20-year-old pharmacy student Rafael and her sisters Eden and Eliza do not hide their disappointment: “We came for the atmosphere and meet on the sidewalk! Eloise, their unfortunate neighbor with the colors of the French flag on her cheeks, wears a French Football Federation scarf. A stretcher bearer in Vernon (Ayr), a young woman made a good heart against the bad luck: “Too many people, we stand outside, but it’s still nice.”

Medical intern, Guillaume, who is due to take the 6:30 pm train to Marseille, the plague: “This is a monstrous brothel! There are no seats in the cafe. I, who until now followed all the matches, found myself in a quandary before the final…”

Eighteen-year-old film student Penelope and her friends Leta and Ninon visited several bistros before being confronted by the closed doors of the Rotunda. “Everywhere is full. We will still be watching from the sidelines. It’s a shame,” Penelope says, her cheeks painted in blue, white and red.