A branch of the CSM in New York!
Damien, a 26-year-old Monegasque expatriated to the United States, is the founder of AS Monaco Fans New York City, the 16th branch of the Monaco Supporters Club. The young man explains his project and his motivation for the idea of coloring the Big Apple in Red and White.
When AS Monaco plays, Damien, a 26-year-old Monegasque living in New York, often has the same ritual. He puts on his jersey at Diagonale and goes to an Irish pub called ” The Football Factory at Legends “, located in the heart of Manhattan.
While tourists flock to admire the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty, he approaches the small screen to support the Red and Whites, even if it means fighting jet lag. “And also to avoid alerts from applications that resonate in the middle of a meeting when the Monaco brand”, he smiles.
From Monaco to New York
A business school graduate, the Monegasque is now flourishing as a project manager and left his native Rock more than three years ago. An attraction for American culture, born during her studies and a scene performed in Boston, pushed her to make the United States her new place of life.
There is a large community of French people living here, and a growing interest in the foot in the United States. New York is also a popular tourist destination. So there will always be Monaco fans out of our entire supporter base who come around and say, ‘Hey, where can I watch the game?’ And we will be delighted to welcome them?
Founder of AS Monaco New York
Quite a change for this red and white supporter of the first hour, whose father, already used to the former Louis-II, did not wait long before taking him to support the Red and Whites. “I caught the virus very early, admits the Monegasque. The European campaign of 2004 was then the big trigger. Seeing your club in the Champions League final when you are 8 years old…” The chills, still intense, can be felt through the phone of this former subscriber in the Pesages stand.
Despite the distance that separates the Fontvieille precinct from New York, the city “that never sleeps” as the saying goes, nothing could have kept Damien away from his passion.
And, meeting other supporters of clubs playing in Ligue 1 Uber Eats in the Big Apple encouraged him to take the plunge. “I said to myself: why not Monaco? As I was accustomed to The Football Factory, I suggested to the managers to make it the headquarters of AS Monaco Fans New York City. They were immediately ready because other groups of supporters also use the place as a landmark. This is also what motivated me, because we share our passion for our respective clubs with respect. We all live far from our families, it also allows us to keep a link with our home. »
An antenna ready to last
Little, if you order a drink at the counter of this pub where “soccer” is king, a scarf will catch your eye. Alongside Juventus Turin, Chelsea, or even Manchester United, AS Monaco also has its own little piece of red and white sky.
From now on, Damien is motivated by the idea of having his antenna evaluated, which is intended to welcome all football fans passing through New York. “There is a large community of French people living here, and a growing interest in the foot in the United States. New York is also a popular tourist destination. So there will always be Monaco fans out of our whole supporter base who come around and say, ‘Hey, where can I watch the game?’ And we will be delighted to welcome them”, explains Damien who already has several projects for the weeks and months to come.
Thus, next February, AS Monaco Fans New York City plans to live the meeting between the Monegasques and Paris Saint-Germain with the Parisian fans in their common headquarters of The Football Factory, which will then take the Monegasque accent the time an evening… or an afternoon, New York jet lag obliges.
Damien, in the center of the photo, accompanied by Sandra Petit, Secretary General, and Laurent Maire, President of the CSM
Go to the antenna’s social networks
In order to share his passion and communicate about the different events he hopes to organize, Damien has even created an account instagram and an account Twitteropen to everyone in order to make the community of followers believe.
“I would like Monegasque supporters to be able to meet locals and thus establish a link between our two cultures. In this project, one of the most important parts is the openness to others. In the hubbub of Times Square, where the lights of giant spotlights merge, you might soon find an echo of your “Daghe Munegu!” “.
The antennas: the grandiose Red and White passion
With AS Monaco Fans new York City, CSM Monaco is extending its canvas even further. The institution counts the branches in total, including the historic one based in Monaco: Allobroges (Roquebrune Cap-Martin), Munegu 51 (Champagne-Ardenne), Munegu Bourgogne (Rhône/Burgundy), CSM Munegu 26/07 (Dôme/ Ardèche), Supp’Loraine, Munegu Normandy, Munegu IDF (Paris / Iles de France), Monegask (Picardy / Ile de France), Munegu Center Val de Loire, Biancorossi 83, DOM TOM (Overseas), Liguria (San Remo , Italy), CSM 62/59 (Hauts de France), Munegu 57 (Moselle).
These groups must also have independent branches Da Viken (Vendée) and Muneg’Oc (Haute-Vienne).
Last May, all the antennas were thanked for their support at the Louis-II Stadium and were presented with a jersey from the hands of President Dmitry Rybolovlev.