Until the end, the Versailles supporters sang and pushed their team. But after the elimination against Fleury (1-1, 4-5 in the tabs, 1-1.), they left both disappointed but also happy to have experienced “a beautiful parenthesis”, as Bruno Pajot points out. , spokesperson for the Kop du Roy.
Versailles to… Versailles. Since the last match of the National 2 season, May 28, 2022 (3-1 against Blois), this has in fact no longer happened. The Montbauron stadium is not approved for the National. For two seasons, Versailles has therefore had to exile itself to the Jean-Bouin stadium, the den of Stade Français rugby players, a pretty setting, certainly, but which often resembles a desert with its several hundred spectators, scattered in the stands.
This Saturday, for the poster of this 6th round of the Coupe de France in Île-de-France against Fleury (N2), the spectators were more numerous than for a championship match at Jean-Bouin. In any case, the stand was well filled. “There are people there, it’s really nice. There must be between 800 and 1,000, says Bruno Pajot, 59, born in Versailles. This is our home. This is our stadium. We’ve been coming for years. At Jean-Bouin, it’s not the same. We set up a kop a year ago. But it’s not easy because we’re not at home. Basically, the Versailles public is difficult. So to bring him to Paris… Here, it’s easier to set the mood. When there was the draw, I immediately called the presidents so that they could study the possibility of playing here for this match. »
“For the moment, we can play in the Coupe de France in Montbauron because the stadium is approved for this competition, unlike the National,” president Alexandre Mulliez explained to us before the match. It is with joy that we are returning to our historic stadium, and we intend to take full advantage of it. Playing at home is invaluable, so we are very excited to return to our stadium. »
“The work necessary to bring lighting up to National standards is not a priori priority”
But after this elimination in the Coupe de France, the Versaillais are not about to play again at Monbauron. Already because the work announced by the town hall in September 2022 was put on standby after appeals from local residents. “The work necessary to bring the lighting up to National standards is no longer a priority,” recognizes Alexandre Mulliez.
Then, Montbauron, even after work, can never be approved for L2, the level that Versailles aims to reach within three years. “Coming back here was a nice moment, but I don’t think we will one day be able to return to a championship if the club continues to grow,” continues supporter Bruno Pajot.
But this ephemeral return to Monbauron nevertheless made it possible to attract more casual followers who are not ready to travel to the 16th arrondissement for National matches. “Versailles is my favorite club but I am not a die-hard supporter,” explains Ludovic, a 45-year-old from Versailles, who came with his two children. I’ve never been to Jean-Bouin, it’s impossible on a Friday evening. But if Versailles still played at Montbauron, I would come more regularly. It’s a real shame not to have been able to find another solution than Jean-Bouin. We really had a lovely afternoon there. We are not very far from the field, the match is pleasant and Versailles dominates. »
But as is often the case in the championship, Versailles wasted numerous opportunities and was caught on a header from Freddy Colombo (1-1, 73rd), just after opening the scoring thanks to Mondy Prunier (69th). The Haitian international from Versailles then saw his attempt during the penalty shootout stopped by Trey Vimalin. Already the author of numerous saves during regulation time, Fleury’s replacement goalkeeper (22 years old), who played for PSG in U17 and U19, despaired the Versailles supporters to the end. Revealed to France of football thanks to its epic journey to the semi-final of the Coupe de France in Nice in 2022, Versailles only has the championship where it currently occupies 9th place, this season, to make people talk about it . Far from its bases…
