- Title: 'We love our French team!' Les Bleus come home to warm welcome after defeat
- Date: 19th December 2022
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (DECEMBER 19, 2022) (REUTERS) FRANCE PLAYERS OLIVIER GIROUD, ANTOINE GRIEZMANN, AURELIEN TCHOUAMENI, DAYOT UPAMECANO AND EDUARDO CAMAVINGA, AND COACH DIDIER DESCHAMPS ON LEFT OF COLUMN, CLAPPING HANDS TOGETHER IN ONE OF THE STANDARD CHEERS FOR FRENCH TEAM FRANCE TEAM PLAYERS AND COACHING STAFF LEANING ON BALCONY OF HOTEL DE CRILLON SUPPORTERS CHANTING (French): "THANK YOU LES BLEUS, THANK YOU LES BLEUS" GIROUD, TCHOUAMENI, DEMBELE, KYLIAN MBAPPE AND OTHER PLAYERS STANDING ON BALCONY AS AUDIO OF SUPPORTERS (OFF-CAM) CHANT "KYLIAN MBAPPE, KYLIAN MBAPPE" SUPPORTERS CHANTING (French): "THANK YOU LES BLEUS, THANK YOU LES BLEUS" GIROUD AND GRIEZMANN WAVING, TCHOUAMENI, UPAMECANO AND DEMBELE CLAPPING SUPPORTERS SHOUTING GIROUD'S NAME GIROUD AND GRIEZMANN WAVING, OTHER PLAYERS INCLUDING MATTEO GUENDOUZI AND HUGO LLORIS STANDING, WILLIAM SALIBA MAKING ROLLING GESTURE GIROUD AND GRIEZMANN JUMPING, WHILE CROWD (OFF-CAMERA) CHANT (French): "THOSE WHO ARE NOT JUMPING ARE NOT FRENCH" DAYCARE WORKER SABINE RECURT WEARING FRENCH FLAG AS CAPE, WITH A SLOGAN THAT READS (French): "PROUD TO BE BLUES" (SOUNDBITE) (French) DAYCARE WORKER, SABINE RECURT, 55 YEARS OLD, SAYING: "Even if they finished second, we are here. We love our French team. I love Grizou (Antoine Griezmann), I love (Kylian) Mbappe, (Olivier) Giroud. We must be with them. Even if they lost, we must be with them, we'll be with them until the end. And I think they need this, our support. Voila. It's magical, look at the people, they've come. It's sweet." TOP OF EIFFEL TOWER MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS CHEERING (SOUNDBITE) (French) MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT, TAHA OIJIINE, 13 YEARS OLD, SAYING: "I was a bit sad in the beginning, because I wanted us to win, because winning always feels good. After, we lost but we played a good match. I still liked it. I'm no longer sad. Yesterday, I was sad. Today, no more." GIROUD WAVING, GRIEZMANN CLAPPING, OTHER PLAYERS STANDING PLAYERS LOOKING OUT FROM BALCONY SUPPORTERS WATCHING, FLARE BEING HELD NEAR OBELISK AT CONCORDE SQUARE GIROUD AND GRIEZMANN CLAPPING HANDS IN ONE OF THE STANDARD CHEERS FOR FRENCH TEAM GROUP OF FANS, INCLUDING SOME WHO TRAVELLED TO QATAR TO WATCH WORLD CUP, CHEERING AND WAVING FRENCH FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (French) SALES WORKER, ROMAIN LAGACY, 25 YEARS OLD, SAYING: "It was extraordinary. We are a small group who came back from Qatar just after the quarterfinals. We had a great time there. They were such good memories, we will remember this forever. They (French team) gave us joy for one month even if the final, it wasn't victorious. But we owe them our gratitude." GROUP OF SUPPORTERS, INCLUDING SOME WHO TRAVELLED TO QATAR, SINGING FRENCH NATIONAL ANTHEM "LA MARSEILLAISE" (SOUNDBITE) (French) STUDENT FROM CORREZE, THOMAS OKAN, 23 YEARS OLD, SAYING: "When I saw 2-0 (score when Argentina was up against France), I didn't believe it. And then it became 3-3. I just want to say "Thank you" to Les Bleus, just thank you. That's why I came here to pay tribute. Thank you, Les Bleus. Thank you, (Didier) Deschamps. Thank you, Kylian (Mbappe). Thank you to everyone who made us dream. It's true that we're sad. But we finished second in the world." VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS SINGING 'LA MARSEILLAISE'
- Embargoed: 2nd January 2023 21:10
- Keywords: CONCORDE DEFEAT France SUPPORTERS Soccer WORLD CUP
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Europe,Sport,World Cup
- Reuters ID: LVA001771119122022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT IS LIVE-U QUALITY. 7839-SOCCER-WORLDCUP-FRA/TEAM-SUPPORTERS HAS HIGH QUALITY IMAGES.
France's national soccer team returned from Qatar to the acclaim of huge crowds in Paris on Monday (December 19), after their heroic defeat to Argentina in the World Cup final, which won them admiration in the country and across the world.
"Thank you Les Bleus," supporters chanted as the France team greeted them from the balcony of the prestigious Hotel de Crillon, upon returning from Qatar on Monday.
Despite it being a drab and chilly December evening, several thousands had congregated at Paris' Place de la Concorde, cheering and waving French flags.
Didier Deschamps' squad lost in the World Cup finals, in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Argentina, that ended in a penalty shootout where Les Bleus were defeated.
Players Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann led the crowd in a cheer, while star forward Kylian Mbappe, the top goal scorer in the World Cup, stood on the side not smiling despite drawing roars from the crowd.
Fans cheered and waved French flags at the Concorde square in central Paris to welcome back the team and express their gratitude despite the loss.
"We love our French team. Even if they lost, we must be with them," said daycare worker Sabine Recurt, who came straight to the gathering after work.
France would have been the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to win two consecutive World Cup titles. It would have been their third after reigning supreme in 1998 and 2018.
"Thank you to everyone who made us dream. It's true that we're sad. But we finished second in the world," said Thomas Okan, a student who came to Paris from the Correze region.
Fans let off fireworks, waved French tricolor flags, chanted "Allez Les Bleus" and sang the French national anthem.
Argentina won their third World Cup in an extraordinary final on Sunday (December 18) as they beat France 4-2 on penalties, after Lionel Messi scored twice in a 3-3 draw and Mbappe grabbed a hat-trick to bring the holders back from 2-0 and 3-2 down.
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