Under the chandeliers, 19th century paintings and gilded ceilings, the Élysée hosts an unusual event. On June 5, 2023, the official agenda of the President of the Republic does not announce any major meetings. However, the village hall, known for its investitures and its major ceremonies, is adorned with its reception clothes: 150 chairs, a stage, a lectern, the French and European flags in the background, everything is ready for listening the speech of those who will take the podium for the final of the fourth eloquence competition of French football training centers.
Among the potential winners is Ayyoub Bouaddi. At the age of 15, the boy from Creil faces the audience with astonishing confidence. As he declaims his text on the opposition between the “result and the manner”, the young Losc midfielder scans the assembly with his gaze, uses his hands without really looking at his notes, plays with different intonations to keep his attentive audience and convince that “the result is what you get and in the end it’s the thing you remember”.
