The Cinderella of the Cup, FC Carros, regardless of the outcome, win or lose, will celebrate its remarkable journey with its supporters. Precautions will be taken to prevent skirmishes between supporters from Nice and Cannes. One thing is certain, FC Carros seems to be married to the Cup this season, for better and… for the better.
After the victory in Valence against Rhône-Crussol, the Carros supporters and players promised to celebrate together in Carros should they host the eighth round. This pact is now at risk. The fear of Nice supporters coming to provoke the Cannes supporters is very real.
“Due to the rivalries, the organization of this match is almost professional. I wouldn’t say it ruins the party but we’re not used to handling security. There will be a large contingent: forty stewards, a squadron of 80 gendarmes. I am even in constant contact with the Intelligence Services,” explains Stéphane Monvieux, president of FC Carros. He hopes that only the match and the 22 players on the field will be discussed. Franck Guigonis, one of the two leaders of the Carros kop, adds: “I have absolutely nothing against Cannes. On Saturday in the stands, I will only sing for FC Carros. Our kop will not provoke Cannes supporters. They are welcome. If they want to join us after the match for a Ricard, it will be with pleasure. A supporter gains nothing. That’s what the hooligans forget. Nothing changes whether the team we support loses or wins.”
Franck was, of course, present at the game in Valence. The cold. The travel. The tension of the unlikely feat. Nothing stopped him from going shirtless in sub-zero temperatures (-5°C) and singing for two hours. Between emotion and hope, Franck describes his love for the underdog of the Coupe de France: “These players are fabulous. I’m not afraid to say they could all play at a high level. They beat Rhône-Crussol, where many former L2 players from ASOA Valence played. When I think of the joys they’ve brought me, it brings tears to my eyes. Something special has happened between them and us, the supporters who follow them regularly.”
FC Carros has been no stranger to upsets… Each round has been one, as the Azuréen club has always faced a hierarchically superior club. Stéphane Monvieux believes in his team’s chances: “We have the home field advantage. We are used to playing on synthetic turf. We have eliminated teams from PHB (Mouans-Sartoux), PHA (La Crau), two from DHR (Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and Rhône-Crussol), one from CFA2 (Fos sur Mer), and one from CFA (Fréjus). AS Cannes is a level above. We are aware that it is a professional club. Cannois players train every day. I feel their motivation. They will give everything to see how far they can go. They really want this. They want to give everything and especially they want to win. This match is the best thing that could have happened to them.”
The little ones of the Cup seem confident to face the Cannes giant. A match remains a match with a ball and eleven players who will strive to push this ball into the opposite nets. The magic of the cup may operate once again for FC Carros. Let’s hope so for this very likeable club. Let’s also hope that nothing spoils this football celebration and that the 1500 spectators witness a beautiful match. Long live football and long live the celebration… around a good Ricard offered by Franck because the party is to be enjoyed without moderation.
Vincent Trinquat
Nice-Première has followed the journey of FC Carros. Here are the links to previous articles about this club:
[https://www.nicepremium.fr/article.php3?id_article=194](https://www.nicepremium.fr/article.php3?id_article=194)
[https://www.nicepremium.fr/article.php3?id_article=228](https://www.nicepremium.fr/article.php3?id_article=228)
Match info:
– Ticket sales open Thursday. Tickets are on sale at the stadium.
– FC Carros and OGC Nice are partners.
– Franck Guigonis is called “Le Marseillais”. In addition to being a true Niçois and having fallen in love with FC Carros, Franck supports OM.
– The club’s website will host a live event on match night.
– The match is expected to be broadcast on France Bleu Azur.
– Stéphane Monvieux predicted a 2-1 victory for Carros. Franck Guigonis predicted a 2-0 victory.
More information at [www.fc-carros.com](http://www.fc-carros.com)
