Ten years to the day after the Paris attacks, France is preparing to experience an evening that is both sporting and memorial. This Thursday, November 13, the Blues face Ukraine at the Parc des Princes for a qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup. But beyond the field, emotion will dominate, marked by a series of tributes to the victims of the attacks which mourned the country in 2015. This terrible night of November 13, 2015 remains engraved in the collective memory. Six places were targeted: the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, the terraces of cafes and restaurants in the 10th and 11th arrondissement, and the Bataclan concert hall. 130 dead, more than 400 injured, hundreds of lives shattered, and a country plunged into astonishment.
It all started that evening at the Stade de France, where France faced Germany in a friendly match. At 9:20 p.m., the first explosion rang out near the compound, followed by two others. François Hollande, then President of the Republic, was in the stands. The match continued, in confusion, before the country learned the extent of the horror. Ten years later, the FFF wanted to pay tribute to this tragic moment. A minute of reflection will be observed before kick-off. A “Football for Peace” tarpaulin will be deployed on the pitch, and the players will display the Bleuet de France badge, a symbol of remembrance and support for the victims of terrorism. François Hollande, Bernard Cazeneuve and Salim Toorabally, the security guard who repelled one of the terrorists at the entrance to the Stade de France, will be present. The FFF also invited representatives of law enforcement, firefighters and victims’ associations. “It is a moment of memory and national unity”indicates the Federation.
Commemorations under high security
Before the France-Ukraine meeting, official ceremonies paying tribute to the victims of the attacks will take place throughout the day. President Emmanuel Macron will participate in this journey of remembrance, ten years after the deadliest attacks committed on French soil since the Second World War. The first stage is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at the Stade de France, the place where it all started. Accompanied by the Prime Minister, the ministers concerned and victims’ associations, the Head of State will observe a moment of meditation at the exact location of the explosions. Then, the presidential procession will travel to the 10th and 11th arrondissements of Paris, to the terraces of the cafes and restaurants targeted that evening, namely Le Carillon, Le Petit Cambodge, La Bonne Bière, Casa Nostra, La Belle Équipe… Finally, the day will end at the Bataclan, scene of the bloodiest massacre with 90 dead during the Eagles of Death Metal concert. Each stage will be marked by the reading of the names of the victims and the laying of wreaths.
Ten years later, the pain remains strong, but the will to remember intact. In the evening, the Parc des Princes will in turn become a symbolic place, extending the thread of memory through sport, around this meeting between France and Ukraine. A collection of donations will be organized for the benefit of Bleuet de France, and the stands will be invited to stand for a minute of silence before the match. For this highly emotional match, the authorities have put in place an unprecedented security system. According to the Paris Police Prefecture, nearly 500 agents including CRS, mobile gendarmes and police officers will be deployed in and around the Parc des Princes. The Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nuñez, wanted to be reassuring: “Ten years after the attacks, there could be no question of giving up sport or music. It is our duty to ensure that life remains in the ascendant. »
Very moved and involved Blues
For Didier Deschamps and his players, this Thursday’s match will not be a meeting like any other. The Blues coach, visibly moved when his list was announced, confided: “Deep down, if we could have avoided playing on November 13, it would have been good. It is a special day with different commemorations. Honestly, I don’t feel like I have the strength to talk about what happened again. » On November 13, 2015, Deschamps was already on the French bench, in Saint-Denis. He and his players learned of the extent of the attacks after the final whistle. Thursday evening, the coach asked his players “to remain dignified and focused, while having a thought for the victims”. On the pitch, the Blues will wear the Bleuet de France on their jersey, and the central circle will display the message “Football for Peace”. More than a match, this evening will symbolize the capacity of sport to bring people together beyond tragedies. Captain Kylian MbappĂ© also spoke of the symbolic significance of this meeting. “We wanted to spare a thought for all the people who have lost their loved ones, who may have been affected, injured, mentally or physically. We will try to pay tribute to all these people tomorrow, both during the day and during the match, by trying to put smiles on the faces of the people who will come to the stadium.promised the French captain.
And to add: “We want to make the French understand that, despite the fact that qualification for the World Cup is at stake, there are much more important things. The commemoration of this day, unfortunately historic, is one of them. We are not disconnected from that. » Spectators will be subject to reinforced controls: systematic pat-downs, in-depth bag searches and an expanded security perimeter around the stadium. The dog units and the Research and Intervention Brigade (BRI) will also be on standby, ready to intervene. Mine clearance teams inspected the site the day before. The match was classified level 2 out of 5 by the National Division for the Fight against Hooliganism (DNLH), which means a “degraded context likely to generate deviant behavior on the part of supporters”. The police are particularly attentive to the coexistence between French and Ukrainian supporters, even if no incident is feared at this stage. However, some police unions say they are worried. “The date, the international context, the symbolism of the place… We know that we have had several destabilizing maneuvers related to Russian power in recent months. We have a lot of problems for this meeting”confides a security source. But for the authorities, the issue goes beyond the simple question of public order since it is also a question of affirming the resilience of the nation in the face of the threat.
