At the Saint-Georges brewery in Nancy, the question is settled. The video projector will remain switched off throughout the FIFA World Cup in Qatar
, launched on November 20. “We will make the decision not to broadcast the matches this year“, confirms Clément Chollot, the co-manager of the bar. The reflection began this summer, the two partners hesitated for a long time before coming to this conclusion. “For the image of the establishment, we will not“, he adds.
“These stadiums were built in conditions that are not acceptable, and that we would not accept here, in France, why are we accepting them there?“In addition to accusations by NGOs of human rights abuses in the construction of stadiums, there is the ecological question
which poses a problem for Clément Chollot. “The idea is to have a little consistency in what we do. You can’t try to save electricity on a smaller scale by turning off the light for two hours a day and watching a World Cup in Qatar with air conditioning.“
Yet the Saint-Georges brewery had rebroadcast the matches
in 2018, during the World Cup in Russia, the organization of which was also controversial. “It was madness, a general jubilation“, remembers Clément Chollot. Just like the boss of the Pinocchio bar, place Saint-Epvre, Olivier Rouyer. “It is colossal on the turnover. It’s minimum 50% more compared to a normal day.”
“You will not have to come and cry afterwards”
No way for him to skip the event This year. “I don’t fit in there. If it works, they’ll be the first to cry. Everyone does what they want, but I find that a bit silly.“For the former ASNL player, there is no debate.”We’ve known for ten years that it will be Qatar, all of a sudden the right-thinking people wake up, it’s ridiculous.” Even if Olivier Rouyer recognizes it, a World Cup in the middle of November, without a fan zone in Nancy, it may be complicated to do as well as in 2018. As for whether the Blues will go that far? The bets have been made !