despite a context of reinforced security, a match evening (almost) like any other at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium

Around the Pierre-Mauroy stadium, children follow one another to have their photo taken in front of Kylian Mbappé’s jersey. In a family atmosphere, usual when the French team travels to the provinces, nearly 50,000 people, including 1,700 Scots, attended the France-Scotland meeting, Tuesday October 17, while France is placed in state emergency attack alert since Friday. A match postponed by ten minutes to give the public, faced with greater security measures, time to enter the enclosure. Like Fabrice and his son Aaron, crossed in front of the enclosure before the match, the attack the day before in Brussels did not call their arrival into question, “but it’s especially those around you who are fearful”.

The number of law enforcement officers doubled to 300, reinforced controls at the border with Belgium… While a terrorist attacked football supporters the day before, the Ministry of Interior had announced exceptional measures to secure the France-Scotland match. “We know that there are more police officers, but we don’t necessarily feel more secure than usual. The atmosphere is rather good-natured with the Scots”note Alexis, Maxime and Christophe, who came with their children, and who did not hesitate to pose in front of the stadium with opposing supporters.

Same observation for a team from RTBF, Belgian public television, which should not be interested in a friendly match between France and Scotland. “We are sent in relation to what happened yesterday not far from you. We were wondering if the police force had been reinforced, and ultimately the atmosphere is rather cool, it’s like a normal match”observe Denis Silva y Poveda, camera operator, and Martin Caulier, journalist.

Animations maintained

In patrols of three, the police are present but discreet around the stadium, from which no exit has been closed, not even the boulevard which runs alongside it. The activities were also maintained, to the delight of the children. Mother, Noémie still hesitated to come: “It’s my first football match too, so there’s a little apprehension”. A little further on, François and his son Lucien do not linger around the stadium: “We came a little earlier, but we’re going to take advantage of the activities outside a little less, so we can get back quickly,” they say before getting closer to the entrance to the stadium.

Like them, many spectators had anticipated their arrival, creating long queues to enter the enclosure 1 hour 45 minutes before the start of the match.