Celebrate the return of TFC in Ligue 1, yes, but under 35°C, it was something that was harder for the supporters… Sunday August 7 took place the first match of the Toulouse Football Club back in Ligue 1 against OGC Nice. The match, which took place at 1:00 p.m., was accompanied by a thermostatic thermostat minus 35°C.

The reason: the meeting was broadcast on the platform Amazon Premier, which holds the TV rights this season. On the grid, yesterday, it transmitted 7 Ligue 1 matches. And for that, it was necessary to make choices of programming and schedules. So this is the game TFC – OGC Nice who obtained the 1:00 p.m. slot. A situation that was difficult for players and supporters to live with.

Proven warmth for gamers

The 22 actors (+ the substitutes) of the meeting had to play 90 minutes below 35°C. Conditions that complicate the sporting effort, as delivered by Alexandre Roux, president of the Indians: “they suffered on the ground, even if they are top-level athletes, they are first and foremost human beings“. To help them, a cooling break was given to them halfway through each half. A useful break, but which does not solve the problems according to the president of the Indians.

“The players produce an intense physical effort, the League does not care about them and treats them like a commodity that must produce a spectacle at any time and at any price.”

Side Supporter

A tough match for the players, but also for the supporters. They were over 20,000 come and support them during the meeting. And the two hours of the match were not easy for them, either. Indeed, the Stadium cannot cover all the supporters, so you have to be prepared for the heat. “It was complicated to manage, explains Alexandre Roux, some of our members even had sunstroke. »

To warn about his conditions, the Indians had planned the coup, and did not hesitate to brandish during the meeting a banner with the inscription: “Match at 1 p.m. under heat wave for a story of TV rights, you put all the world in danger”. Directly targeting the Professional Football League, they want the meeting times to change.

“You get the impression that they are waiting for a tragedy to happen to change things. There are fragile people among the supporters who come to the stadium and let them spend several hours in full sun, including at the peak hours. heat of the day is to put their lives in danger.

The problems of bars

At this temperature, another problem was added to the stadium: the long queues to access the refreshments and be able to cool off. Some supporters waited over 30 minutes and missed part of the match to be able to cool off, when others couldn’t find anything to drink… On Twitter, many of them shared their dissatisfaction:

The club, through the voice of its president, announced that it was going to review and ” to improve “ this bar part.

The next TFC home game is on Sunday August 21 facing Lorient.

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