The voice trembling, the president of the football club Le Mans FC, Thierry Gomez, very moved, by what happened to “his friend” Philippe Boutron, also president of the club (the US Orléans), seriously injured by the explosion of a vehicle, in Saudi Arabia, before the start of the Dakar rally in which he was preparing to participate as a driver, first wants to provide his support and solidarity to Philippe Boutron, now hospitalized in Clamart, in Paris region, and his family.
How can we continue this ordeal? “
But the Sarthe leader also says he does not understand why the rally has started anyway, even though the trail of an attack seems clearly envisaged to explain this explosion (the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office opened an investigation on Tuesday): “This is what made me react immediately, because today, in football, we are confronted with violence, especially in the stands, we know that it is not easy. A few weeks earlier, we decided to stop the matches when there were bottles thrown at the pitch, and that’s very good. And I say it very clearly, it makes perfect sense because the stadium n is not a lawless area and sport must be a vector of values. But there, given the circumstances and what happened with Philippe [Boutron], I don’t understand how we can continue to organize this event [le Dakar] when there has been a tragedy today and one person is fighting to stay alive. Anyway, I’m asking the question. “
– DR
Same tone in Orléans at Thomas Renault, former emblematic player of US Orléans Loiret Football, now sports assistant at the town hall of Orléans: “it’s very shocking. What shocks me the most is to hide this right before the departure [ndlr. l’explosion est survenue jeudi 30 décembre et elle a été rendue publique le samedi 1er janvier dans l’après-midi]. After a while in sport, it is customary to say that each discipline is a family. There, in this case, we realize that the word family has nothing concrete. And I find that a shame because not because it is a lack of respect towards both his team, his partners and his family and loved ones. (…) In any case, as far as I’m concerned, [je pense qu’]we shouldn’t have continued the race. “
– Anne Oger