It floats like a fragrance of a great European evening at the Porte d'Auteuil on this Wednesday evening. Two hours before kick-off, more than 3,000 Parisian supporters have already answered the call of the Collectif ultras Paris to gather in front of the Parc des Princes and support PSG, despite the closed door. "We don't want them to tell themselves that they are alone", explains Justine Foulard, who is rather pessimistic about the outcome of the match. It is, however, one of the few to consider a defeat for Parisian players against Borussia Dortmund, synonymous with the fourth consecutive elimination in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
From the hedge of honor made on the Parisian bus on the edge of Roland-Garros, the tone is set. The thousands of supporters present, some perched in the trees, disappear in the thick red smoke of the many smoke bombs. The songs will resonate without pause or almost throughout the evening. "I feel great because of the atmosphere. I bought four smoke bombs so it will be a 4-0 victory "Exclaims Nicolas Pelletier in the procession towards the Parc des Princes. A blue and red procession led by large flags, one of which carries the message: "The virus is us! "
Coming directly from Deauville, Bryan and Nelson arrived at 5:30 p.m. and did not come "Only for qualification". Beside them, Walid can not imagine reliving the disillusionment of the return match against Manchester United which he had attended within the grounds of the Park: "They must be hungry tonight. They are professional footballers, they must take their responsibilities. " Supporters are massed in front of the Auteuil tribune while police trucks block the two adjacent streets on each side. At the start, the tension goes up a notch, the decibels too.
From deliverance to communion
The atmosphere got its first kick in the middle of the first period: the fans were impatient about the opening of the Paris score. The latter is not long in coming and is the source of an explosion of joy but also of an increased number of supporters who stand aside to follow the match on their mobile. "As a subscriber, moreover at the Auteuil stand, it is very frustrating not to see the match with your own eyes when you are a few tens of meters from the lawn", says Tom Pylarczyk, who monitors sports apps and is delighted to have seen Neymar’s goal live on the radio.
Suddenly, a sound emerges in a corner of the rally and spreads to the rest of the crowd: PSG has just scored a second goal. Judging by the jumps and races of supporters in all directions, this goal is that of deliverance but at halftime, caution remains necessary for some: "It's starting to smell good but I prefer to say nothing, I remember the mistakes of the past", recalls Julien Lemaire, who would not have been against the installation of a giant screen to follow the match. If some neighbors immortalize the gathering which takes place under their windows, others, like Vincent Catimel, go so far as to join it: "I find that there are not that many people there and the atmosphere remains good-natured, a bit like at the stadium in normal times", says the resident of Boulogne-Billancourt.
While the supporters gain in serenity, the capo of the ultras tries to re-mobilize the troops which give back their voice at the approach of the last quarter of an hour of play. At the final whistle, the supporters are cheering, the shots from rocket multiply. Behind them, dozens of ultras aligned in a row light smoke bombs, then a large crowd movement carries the supporters towards the porticoes of Porte d'Auteuil. A few meters higher, the Parisian players came to celebrate with them the qualification for the quarterfinals. "The evening was surreal, we had the ball in our stomachs all the game, says Xavier Prevost, a Parisian flag on his shoulders. We say it every season but what happened tonight will strengthen the group so maybe this year is finally the right one. "
