Paris 2024 Paralympics | Blind football: kings of silence
On this second day of the Cécifoot tournament, the Stade Tour Eiffel was once again packed for the night session. On the pitch, the players and their assistants were in full voice, but the public had to contain their passion during the game. An almost unnatural exercise...
As we noticed last night during the French Blind football team's first match (victory over the People's Republic of China by a score of 1-0), the crowd sometimes struggles to contain its fervour. So much so that the stadium's announcer sometimes has to use his microphone to remind the 11,000 spectators of the rules of the game. Because although there is ‘football’ in ‘Cécifoot’, the rules are different from what we are used to with football, a popular sport par excellence that regularly unleashes the crowds.
Essential for the smooth running of the game
But why keep silent, you might ask? Well, quite simply because this discipline for the visually impaired is played with a ball fitted with bells. The sound emitted by the leather is an essential source of information for the players, who are all blindfolded. Plunged into the dark, they have no choice but to use the sound of the ball to find their way around, but that's not all! The vocal exchanges between the five players and the staff around the pitch are vital to creating the best possible game. In a stadium filled with thousands of people, being able to communicate optimally quickly becomes a challenge, especially when a Paralympic title is at stake.
When reflexes take over
On a balmy summer's evening, in a glowing Stade Tour Eiffel, the match begins with the announcement: ‘Thank you ladies and gentlemen for respecting the silence during the game. Shhhhhhh’. For a few moments, in the heart of the capital, there was silence, disturbed only by the coaches' instructions to their players. You can also hear the famous ‘voy!’, a term used by players as soon as they are in possession of the ball to signal to their team-mates. As Ahmed Tidiane Diakité was shown his first yellow card of the evening, the crowd was already raising their voices and clapping their hands. ‘Clap, clap, clap! But already the silence had to fall to allow the Brazilians to take their free kick. The South American's shot flew centimetres wide of Benoît Chevreau de Montlehu's left-hand post. The crowd could not contain their relief! A cloud of applause descended from the stands! It was just one of many examples of the dexterity it takes to break out of the habitual reflexes.
The silent wave, a Paris 2024 creation
‘Come on, ladies and gentlemen, let's take advantage of these few seconds to make some noise! The announcer at the Eiffel Tower Stadium is doing his utmost to ensure that the 11,000 spectators are as unfazed as possible. But how could they fail to go into raptures when Khalifa Youmé found himself alone on the left flank to fire in a shot that could have been decisive? In the stands, ‘shhhhhhh’ were heard in an attempt to contain this almost uncontrollable frenzy. Especially as this France/Brazil game has taken on the air of a World Cup final.
Not short of ideas, the organisers have come up with THE solution to allow everyone to take part in the festive atmosphere of the event, without making the slightest sound! In a world first, a silent, slow ola will be launched in the Eiffel Tower Stadium. Without uttering the usual ‘olaaaaa’, the public rose to their feet in a gentle, synchronised way to create a perfectly silent wave that nevertheless had a magnificent effect.
We give it our all!
But once the green light is given by the announcer, everyone lets their joy explode. This time, the wave is loud, but without the arms! Instead, the fans stamp their feet on the arena floor, which starts to shake! And then we shout ‘Allez les Bleus! Quickly, we express our enthusiasm before giving way again to silence. As the evening progresses, everyone manages to discipline themselves. The announcer doesn't even have to call anyone to order any more. Despite the 3-0 scoreline in favour of Brazil, the party continued until the final whistle, which set everyone free. In any case, this evening it was Cecifoot that came out on top. The smiles on everyone's faces and the happy faces are proof of that. Can't wait to see what happens next!