The Victory World Cup gives France a new set of heroes

PARIS – The reception was grand, the emotion was visceral as the World Cup victorious team rolled over Paris Avenue des Champs-Elysees in an open-top bus on Monday as tens of thousands of people cheered with pride and unrestrained throwing the colors national – blue, white, red –

The crowd waiting for hours to greet the football team, under a scorching sun and in the middle of smoke smokers that have smothered the atmosphere, had its time after the return of the Russian team to hoist the gold trophy on French soil for the second time in 20 years.

Sunday's victory over Croatia gave France a new set of heroes, many of which represent the changing face of a multicultural and diverse country that all French citizens have not yet considered.

Elysee, where President Emmanuel Macron organized an informal garden party with 1,000 children and 300 athletes from local football clubs as guests.

Many guest clubs are based in the poor French neighborhoods that have produced the players that make up the young and diverse world of France. Cup team, including Kylian Mbappe, 19-year-old break-out star. Members of the club with whom he grew up in the suburbs of Bondy attended the party.

"Thank you!" Macron, the youngest person to become president of France, told the guests. "This team is beautiful because it was united."

Addressing the team, Macron offered some advice.

"Do not change," he says, adding, "Never forget where you come from."

Captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, waving the trophy of the prominent football tournament, and coach Didier Deschamps led the team on the red carpet in the Elysee's courtyard. While the Republican guards stood still in uniform, the team quickly went into festive mode for official photos

The fun continued in the garden with songs directed by midfielder Paul Pogba and improvised songs .

The victory came at a time when many Frenchmen needed good news, and the magic gave the impression that a large gathering could at least conceal the political, economic and social cracks for a certain number of years. time.

The French sports daily, L'Equipe, summarizes the state of mind of many people who hoped that the euphoria would last.

Before the reception, the Champs-Elysees became the epicenter of national pride for the third day in a row. – The World Cup celebrations that brought hundreds of thousands of people to the renowned Avenue Sunday and a parade of the French military force on Saturday.

The team seemed exalted also during his turn of victory in the bus on Monday. Players threw scarves into the crowd and recorded the action.

Several Paris subway stations were temporarily adjusting their names to honor the team and its members, tweeted the transport authority. The Clemenceau of the Champs-Elysees became the Clemenceau of Deschamps-Elysees to honor the coach Didier Deschamps

The Etoile station is, for the moment, "We have 2 Stars", to mark the second victory of France in World Cup. Victor Hugo Lloris is now Victor Hugo's station, after the French goalkeeper and the captain of the team. "We are tied for life with this cup," defender Raphael Varane told BFM-TV on Monday before leaving Moscow. (19659005) Macron exulted on the field in Moscow and in the locker room, hugging the players as the skies fell. The president was clearly hoping that the glow of the World Cup would detonate him, elevating him to the eyes of a nation where his economic reforms sparked fierce protests and workers' strikes.

He meets with representatives of the companies on Tuesday and mobilizes them

Sports Minister Laura Flessel, who met the team at the airport, told Europe-1 radio that the victory of the Youth World Cup – like those in the poor suburbs where many players grew up – "dare to believe in their dreams."

The patriotic fervor provoked by the World Cup did not prevent the vandalism and violence that sometimes accompany public celebrations France. Broken windows and traces of looting lined up on part of the Champs-Elysées. The authorities arrested 90 people for interrogation in the Paris region and some 290 throughout France.

-AP