- Sunday (5 p.m.), at Beaujoire, during Nantes-Bordeaux, a tribute will be paid to Sala, who disappeared a year ago in a plane crash.
- For a year, supporters, friends, relatives etc. continue to maintain the memory of the Argentine attacker.
Maintain memory. Sunday (5 p.m.), at Beaujoire, during Nantes-Bordeaux, a tribute will be paid to Sala, who disappeared a year ago in a plane crash. At the meeting, the Canaries will wear a special jersey inspired by Argentina. The portrait of Emiliano Sala will be positioned on the central circle during the warm-up. Videos, a tifo and a minute of applause (with which Philippe Gondet, ex-FCN player) will be associated, will be devoted to the Argentine striker. Since his disappearance, friends, supporters, Nantes club etc. mobilized not to forget Emiliano Sala
Songs from the 9th minute
With each Canaries match, since the attacker's disappearance, Nantes supporters have been singing a song in tribute to Sala. "He's an Argentinian who never lets go ... Emiliano Sala, Emiliano Sala, Emiliano Sala ..." This refrain was launched the first time, during Nantes-Saint-Etienne, on January 30. The lyrics were invented by members of the Loire Brigade (notably the capo and spokesperson Romain Gaudin) at half-time of the match and then resumed in the second half. The second part of the song resumes the air of an old song from Nantes fans: "Go Nantes FC, go Nantes, go Nantes FC ..." The other hymn to Sala ("Emiliano Sala, Emiliano Sala, Emiliano Sala! ”) Was born at the start of the 2017-2018 season in Troyes. Like Bessat, Bedoya or Deaux, Sala also had a song in his name.
Number 9 removed
Since Sala's disappearance, the number 9 is no longer worn in Nantes. “Emiliano has left his mark. This is why, like many supporters, I wish to honor it again by withdrawing the number 9 ”, explained in February Waldemar Kita, the Nantes president. The number 9 was only finally awarded in the Coupe de France since the competition regulations require it: "Players starting the game must be numbered from 1 to 11" until the quarter-finals. Last season, Pallois endorsed it in the Coupe de France. This season, it was Abdoulaye Touré. What will it be in five or ten years? Difficult to answer. "As long as the current management is there, I think it will not be assigned," said an employee.
A street and a tribune in his name? A fresco in Carquefou?
At the beginning of October, during the municipal council of the city of Nantes, the elected Europe Ecology-The Greens (EELV) Patrice Boutin proposed that a city street be renamed "Emiliano Sala". He is still waiting for the answer. Supporters have launched petitions to rename the Loire grandstand and the Océane grandstand to the Emiliano Sala grandstand. As a reminder, the Loire and the Erdre had already taken the name respectively of Seth Adonkor from Jean-Michel Labejof, two Canaries killed in a road accident in 1984. “The plaques disappeared during the repair work on the stadium before the 1998 World Cup ”, explains Philippe Laurent, in charge of museum development at the FCN.
In Basse-Goulaine, the grandstand of the football stadium that Sala had inaugurated with Harit in November 2016 has had the name of the Argentine striker since February. Finally, in Carquefou, the commune where Sala lived, a fresco could see the light of day on a wall of the Moulin Boisseau sports complex after the municipal elections. It was friends of Sala who came up with the idea and made the request.
What became of the objects of the tribute?
At the time of Sala's disappearance, a small sanctuary had temporarily taken place at the level of the gates, near the shop, at the Beaujoire stadium. Flowers, jerseys, scarves, drawings, words, large poster with the player's face ... "This" memorial "improvised a year ago was weathered, recognizes Philippe Laurent. But, we secured and dried many things. In addition, the large tarpaulin, which had been placed in the central circle, was preserved in a bag. It will also be deployed again Sunday for the Atlantic derby. “We kept the essentials because it is our duty, but we could not keep everything. "
Podcast
AUDIO. How “20 Minutes” covered the disappearance of Emiliano Sala
Sport
"January 22, 9:04 am: Emiliano is well on the plane, we are trying to hear from him" ... How Nantes lived the day of the drama
- Nantes
- Sport
- Soccer
- Emiliano Sala
- FC Nantes