It’s a song that has been echoing for many months in Rennes, the anthem that accompanied the club’s formidable year 2019 among supporters. “One day a long time ago, I fell crazy for you, don’t ask me how, it happened like this“says the song, to a tune borrowed from Liverpool fans. But how did it happen for those without Breton ties and parents who are supporters of the Red and Black? We interviewed five of them, who told us their history, their meeting with the club and their passion for Stade Rennais.Today meeting with Nicolas, originally from Deauville in Normandy.
A story of table football, FIFA and penalties in the garden
Nicolas is 35 years old and teaches French and history-geography in a professional high school in Seine-Saint-Denis. In his childhood, he grew up with a father and a brother who loved football. Without being a relentless one, his father appreciates FC Nantes. But Nicolas will follow another path, and the reason is to say the least … surprising: “It happened in a pretty funny way. My father was a footballer, we have always played there since we were little with my big brother and me. And as soon as we played a game, like table football, FIFA or penalties in the garden, we took teams at random, and we changed each time. And as soon as I had Rennes, I won! So after a while, I liked the team, I looked at the jerseys, I liked the color red. And when I was nine, ten years old, I remember that there was the generation of Heurtebis, the goal of Kaba Diawara against Toulouse, then Shabani Nonda … take me to the game, they have a great season in 1998/1999, and since then I have never let go of the club.”
Nicolas has fond memories of his schooling, of course there may have been a bit of rooming, but always in a good spirit. most of his friends at the time supported Paris and Caen. Like every Rennes supporter, he has experienced times that are sometimes a little more difficult, such as the evening of May 26, 2007: “We had an evening with friends on the evening of the last day of the 2006/2007 season, when Fauvergue scored against us at the last minute in Lille. I’ve been sulking all evening. Before the goal, I sent messages saying that we were going to do the Champions League and he scored at the last second. I didn’t want to go to the party anymore, I was so disgusted. It’s one of my worst memories, probably worse than the loss against Guingamp.”
A derby won by Rennes for its first at Roazhon Park
If he first had to go through the Parc des Princes or Le Havre to see Rennes play, Nicolas remembers his first match at Roazhon Park: “It was a Rennes-Nantes (August 21, 2004, Editor’s note) I remember that there was Ivica Mornar and that Rennes won 1-0 on a goal from Frei. It was a derby, with high stakes and a great atmosphere! I go back when I can since. My girlfriend offered me tickets for Rennes-Astana in particular, it was my birthday. As I am Norman, I also went to see him in the semi-final of the Coupe de France during the lost match against Quevilly. I was in the grandstand, the only Rennais surrounded by Normans. It’s funny, it started with a foosball story, and now Rennes is rooted in me.“
So, for Nicolas le Normand, the love of Stade Rennais, it happened like that.