Let’s get rid of a little disappointment from Berry: the SDIS of Indre and Cher do not play in the firefighters’ football elite, and do not participate in this championship. But with twenty departments and more than 400 firefighters, professionals or volunteers, the spectacle remains captivating.
“It allows us to get out of what we do all year round”
For three days, the only emergency to deal with for these firefighters was that of tighten the marking of an opponent, or not to lose the ball. “I believe the word party is appropriate for this event.“smiles Christophe Brossard, president of the Association de Football des Sapeurs-Pompiers.”We find friends, and it allows us to get out of what we do all year round” supports Suliman, firefighter in the Yvelines. “When you play football, you don’t think about the rest.“
A watchful coach
On the grounds of the Regional Technical Center, twenty teams compete, divided into four groups of five, during a match of 2x 20 minutes. If the atmosphere is relaxed, the spirit of competition is not far away. And for good reason: Thomas Reynier, coach of the French team of firefighters, watch. From pitch to pitch, someone who is a firefighter in the Vaucluse closely observes the performances of the players. His team aims to participate in the 2023 World Police/Fire Games to be held in Winnipeg, Canada.
“I already have a group of 47 players, the idea is to expand it, to go up to fifty“says the coach. Why so many?”Given the status of some, who are volunteer firefighters, they have to take leave. It is therefore necessary to have a large enough group to participate.”
– Xavier Ponroy
At the edge of the lawns, Thomas Reynier has an eye for dribbling, but also for behavior: “We always base ourselves on the state of mind of a firefighter before the state of mind of a ‘classic’ footballer. We really base ourselves on our human values, courage and daily dedication“.
Common values between a locker room and a barracks
Who better than Frédéric Mendy to discuss the similarities between a football locker room and a barracks? The former defender with more than 300 professional matches with Bastia and Montpellier in particular between the 90s and 2000s, became a volunteer firefighter after his career. He is now the trainer of the Hérault firefighters team. “Yes, there are common values of mutual aid and solidarity, which are the same as I knew as a player. Except that among firefighters… there is courage and dedication (laughs). Let’s say that we take fewer risks when we play (smiles).”