At the office during France-Uruguay, we work "a little bit anyway"

Slumped on a big cushion on the floor, the laptop on his lap but his eyes on the big screen, Kevin Delli follows the France-Uruguay match surrounded by dozens of his colleagues, trying to "work a little when

Standing first, he did not lose a minute of the quarter-final. "There is always a good atmosphere, we are with colleagues, who in the end are still friends, so it's nice to see him with them," says the young man who drew a French flag on each play.

A few dozen employees at the Paris headquarters of the online trading company Rakuten (formerly PriceMinister) installed themselves against three very large screens, between the coffee machine and a table covered with small ovens specially ordered for the first time.

"We have more than a quarter of our employees following the game, some were reluctant to go to bars, but finally they were offered something that was nice, with food and drink, they stayed with their colleagues to enjoy a good time together ", tells AFP Alexia Lefeuvre, director of communication at Rakuten.

The first half-hour spent in a concentrated atmosphere, almost tense. Some employees brought their laptops and lifted their noses with each shudder of anguish and "oh" of despair, as for Uruguay's free-kicks or missed opportunities.

In the 40th minute, this is the l explosion of joy, fists in the air and cries warriors to celebrate the goal of the head of Raphael Varane. Even some employees who do not like football emerge from the office landscape, attracted by the noise … and the buffet.

Like Clarisse Lorrain, a graphic designer that this sport has "never interested", "too much business" . She does not like the atmosphere of the World Cup – "four years ago, it was hell, my birthday was a disaster because of the match", she recalls – but "fortunately there a petits fours ".

-" esprit de corps "-

Savory and sweet bites pecked with pikes decorated with small tricolor flags, as part of the special buffet of Monbanquet.fr, a partner of Rakuten

"We created this offer at the beginning of June, and the craze was quite low for the first matches," says Maxime Renault, co-founder and CEO of this event specialist for companies, "but we have had more and more requests and there are dozens of companies that appeal to us for this quarterfinal.It is thought that it will increase with the rest of the competition." 19659011] The employees of the company Rakuten before the match between France and Uruguay on July 6, 2018 (AFP – GERARD JULIEN ) ” style=”float:right”/>

Start-ups or large groups, many companies take advantage of the World Cup for strengthen the cohesion of their teams by providing time for matches. "It does not hurt productivity, on the contrary, it will participate in the esprit de corps," says Alexia Lefeuvre. "The more comfortable people are in their business, the more they are able to participate in the life of the company and proud to work for us."

Germain Sigety, a developer who did not miss a single match, watched the first half at his desk, "time to finish something", before finding a place in the common room "with friends."

After the second goal – scored by Antoine Griezmann, in the 61st minute – the mood becomes totally relaxed. We make fun of players who "simulate" and we begin to make predictions for the semifinal

Ségolène Beaudot, manager of a commercial team, closes his laptop. "I was waiting for answers from customers but I have not received anything since the beginning of the match, so it's useless!", She fun.

At the end of the match, some employees return at their desk to the sound of horns coming up from the street. IT support manager, Valérie Vicente is happy, she has progressed well in her work, without missing any action: "to applaud with others is still more fun than alone in front of her screen".