Many arrived several days ago, others will only spend 24 hours in Seville. But the 600 or so Losc supporters present in the Andalusian city intend to be heard, together, Tuesday, November 2, in the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium, for the return match between the Mastiffs and the Rojiblancos on the occasion of the 4th day of Champions League. Deprived of travel to Ligue 1 due to the incidents in Lens, they benefit all the more from this trip to Andalusian soil.
Seated around a few tapas at 2 p.m., Max and Nico regain their strength: “We left Lille at 6.30 am, to catch a plane in Paris and arrive in Seville at midday”. In the sun, the two friends do not regret waking up at dawn: “It’s better in autumn here than in Lille in summer”, jokes Max.
The fairly mild temperature, just over 20 degrees, attracted several hundred other Losc supporters. “It’s a beautiful city, the weather is good, it was also a good excuse to spend a weekend with friends”, slips Guillaume. With his friends, they spend a total of four days in Seville: “We visited a bit, but we also tested a lot of bars”, they admit.
Like them, many northern supporters have taken advantage of their bank holiday, Monday, to reach Andalusia in advance and do some sightseeing: “We were able to see the All Saints’ Day processions and their fervor, we visited the cathedral, the Spanish Steps…”, explains Jean-Baptiste. César, a student, who is taking part in a trip for the first time, is delighted with his trip: “I’m enjoying the school holidays and it’s really a great moment to share. I had been to Spain before, but not here. With football, we discover new places”.
#SEVLOSC ⚜️ pic.twitter.com/Q8bEZtMUn5
– Alex. (@alex_slwk) November 2, 2021
Due to the incidents in Lens, during the North derby on September 18, Losc supporters are banned from traveling in Ligue 1 until December 31. “I blame those who were stupid in Lens. It deprived me of making the trip to Clermont and going to the Parc des Princes, while I live in Paris and it was a match that I expected “, deplores Pierre, member of the supporters section of the Dogues de Paris.
For him as for the others, the Champions League away matches are therefore their only opportunities to go and support the Mastiffs far from their bases. Alexandre, who had planned to make the 19 possible trips in the league, did not hesitate to come to Andalusia, and could go to Wolfsburg: “The budget I had planned for Ligue 1 has fallen to zero so I can take advantage of it a little more here. We arrived on Sunday, so it’s been a mini-vacation”.
A few hours before the meeting, the Lille supporters met, at the end of the afternoon, in a pub in Seville to withdraw their seats and share some “cervezas” (beers in Spanish), which are not equal to those of the North according to the words. The atmosphere, already very happy, was packed when Fernando D’Amico, former player of the Mastiffs, arrived to share a drink with the other supporters.
The Argentinian, who played 132 games under the colors of Losc, now lives 200 kilometers from the Andalusian capital and made the trip to support his former club, to which he remains very attached: “It’s extraordinary to see so many people here with such an atmosphere”, he lets go between two selfies.
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While Losc are almost forced to victory if they still hope to qualify for the rest of the competition, the outcome of the meeting does not seem to matter much to its supporters: “Given the sporting situation, we do not know if we will still have a lot of European trips with stakes, so we must take advantage”, testifies Mathieu. Alexandre joins him: “Whatever the score, we will have spent some great days with friends discovering Seville”.