The Beaublanc stadium will once again host an Olympique de Marseille French Cup match. The first time two years ago, the match was sold out. So inevitably, the city is preparing for a new tidal wave on January 2. But with very little time to prepare for it, explains Sylvie Rozette, the sports assistant at the city of Limoges. Interview.
There is a very important security issue
No time to breathe for the sports department of the city of Limoges …
Indeed, barely finished tennis, we move on to the French football cup with the reception of this OM match against Chauvigny. It’s just happiness but it’s still heavy in terms of organization and it’s short in terms of timing since it’s January 2nd. We have the expertise and we will be able to capitalize on what was done two years ago during the match between OM and Trélissac. We took the files out of the boxes. At the time, it was the first time that this stadium was brought to life in optimum configuration. We had also received satisfaction from the federation. We have a report that can give us areas for improvement. Despite everything, there is a security issue that is very important to take into account since we are very close to the night of December 31 and January 1. For the police, municipal and national, that means mobilizing personnel who are starting to run out of steam. It’s a bit of a black spot. This is what is difficult to manage. The prefecture is in working order and I thank it. They asked for reinforcement in terms of staff. I hope that the State will play the game to send reinforcements here in Limoges.
There is the security aspect around the stadium but also inside. There has been a lot of violence in recent months in French football. Is this a concern for you or is it the problem of the football bodies?
It’s everyone’s business! Organizing a match of this magnitude is a team effort with the football authorities, with the prefecture and with the various city departments that are involved. Safety inside the stadium is also everyone’s concern. We want it to go well and to have a nice party. Not that people talk badly about us.
The phone rings a lot. We have a lot of new friends!
Do you already feel the excitement for this match?
Yes, the district president told me he had a lot of people in the parking lot this Tuesday morning! To buy tickets, find out how it went … There is a lot of enthusiasm. The phone rings a lot. We have a lot of new friends. Just kidding, but the big question is the places, where, how … It’s great because it shows that people want to come, that they like it. It is satisfying. Afterwards, it has just been announced. The hard core for us is the equipment and all the security with the prefecture. The ticket office is the business of the Chauvigny club, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Football League and the Haute-Vienne district.
How much does this bring to the city of Limoges?
It is a free provision. This is how it is done for the Coupe de France. Especially since it is an amateur club that receives. Then there are inevitably indirect spinoffs. In terms of hotels and restaurants. Image too. It has costs, but in terms of image, there are strong spinoffs. And then for us, things are going well. Two months ago, we had the PSG for the hand, the women’s tennis tournament last week with a very high level and a lot of intensity. Now, it’s OM that comes to play in Limoges and in April, there are French swimming championships at Aquapolis. We really fit into the landscape of an active and sporting city. We offer sports events to our fellow citizens of the city, the department and even beyond. Afterwards, we manage to do one-shot, preparation math, national teams that come but we can regret not having recurring posters on a sports season in the Beaublanc stadium. This is the drama of this stage. It’s good to be a welcoming place, but I would like us to have that more often.
At the time, you had set up shuttles to facilitate access to the stadium. Are you going to repeat the operation?
The goal will be to do the same thing again. To use dump parking lots with shuttles. Now, we need to get closer to the parking managers to find out if they agree to start again on the same model.