The Blues have given up traveling to Lyon and Marseille by train for their next friendly matches. The SNCF does not understand why.
It should have been a beautiful symbol in the fight for ecological transition: the Blues concerned about their carbon footprint and inclined to abandon the plane in favor of the train for their trips across France. The March rally and the friendly matches against Germany in Lyon and against Chile in Marseille seemed ideal for putting our boots on. And yet…
“ We have not found an optimum formula based on these two elements to have, at the same time, schedules allowing us to respect the rhythms of the internationals, the majority of whom play in the Champions League and in the championship, and to guarantee security in travel for this March sequence », Explains the president of the French Football Federation Philippe Diallo in the pages of L’Equipe.
The SNCF “surprised”
A message and arguments that SNCF Voyageurs admits it does not understand. “ Everything is done to guarantee the safety of these trips and offer schedules adapted to the constraints of the French teamthe railway company informed the sports daily aroused. Various proposals for security visits were also made to confirm the feasibility of these trips. »
Saying “ surprised » by the tricolor about-face, the SNCF recalls that it has “ transported almost all of the Rugby World Cup teams last year, regularly transports the French rugby XV and will transport numerous teams during the next Paris 2024 Games. » A reminder which also applies to the other flagship selections of national football: the French women’s team of Hervé Renard and the Espoirs of Thierry Henry. According to L’Equipe, Didier Deschamps’ Blues could change their tune in June before the Euro and travel to Metz – scene of a preparation match against an opponent yet to be determined – by train.
