VIDEO. National: “We will always be behind you”, the message carried by Nîmes Olympique supporters at La Bastide

À la demande des supporters, à la fin de l'entraînement, le staff et les joueurs crocos ont posé derrière la banderole déployée par les GN91. Midi Libre – Thierry Albenque

This Saturday, January 13 in the morning at La Bastide, with lots of songs and smoke bombs, around thirty members of the GN91 came to encourage the Crocos before their trip to Sochaux on Monday, the last match of the first leg.

Training at La Bastide was open to the public this Saturday, January 13.  Around thirty members of the Gladiators took the opportunity to come and encourage Frédéric Bompard and the Crocos, currently fifteenth in the National and in a relegation position, five points from 12th place before their match at Sochaux on Monday January 15 (6:15 p.m. ).

The National ranking and the results of the 17th day

They sang, let off a few smoke bombs and unfurled a banner on which it was written: "All in the same trouble, together for survival!"

#fcsmno Les supporters de @nimesolympique au soutien des Crocos à La Bastide. Avec une banderole : « Tous dans le même pétrin, ensemble pour le maintien. » pic.twitter.com/m4W6eTQ23E

— Midi Libre Sports (@MidiLibreSports) January 13, 2024

At the end of training, the Nîmes coach and his players came to meet the GN91 who, through the voice of Baptiste Garcia, their president, confronted them with their responsibilities, while assuring them of their support.

"It's you who represent this institution. You must do everything to save the club which has never been in so much danger. Fight for him, fight for us. We will always be behind you if you do the job, if you fight for every ball. We know that you will not win every match but we ask you to surpass yourself. It's a mission, we'll all get there together,” said Baptiste Garcia, taking up the main points of the "Open letter to Nîmes Olympique players" then published on social networks.

Les Crocos au contact de leurs supporters. « On est avec vous, battez-vous pour le club, battez-vous pour nous », ont insisté les fans de @nimesolympique. pic.twitter.com/BgR7kfqFOE

— Midi Libre Sports (@MidiLibreSports) January 13, 2024

Waly Diouf: "Their presence gives us strength and courage"

After these words, players, staff and supporters posed together behind the GN91 banner. At a press conference, a few minutes later, defender Waly Diouf, "on behalf of the group", thanked the supporters". 

"Thank you to them for coming to support us before an important match. We hope, in 2024, to be able to count on them. Their presence gives us strength and courage. As they said, we are in the same boat, we are pursuing the same mission, to save Nîmes Olympique and to keep ourselves together. 

Bompard: "You must not condemn us straight away"

"We felt less alone this morning, reacted coach Frédéric Bompard. I'm not unhappy that the supporters came, it's a good thing, it came from a good feeling. Is this the appropriate formula ("all in the same mess", Editor's note), I don't know, but yes, we is all in the same boat, we are part of the same club."

pic.twitter.com/g4Xl1cMAHg

— Gladiators Nîmes 1991 (@Gladiators1991) January 13, 2024

The crocodile trainer still wanted to clarify: "What bothers me is that we're talking about rescue, as if we were sinking. This is not the case. We are there, we are present, the matches are not played out very much. I understand what the supporters mean, they would like to see Nîmes Olympique higher. We have a points deficit but we shouldn't condemn ourselves straight away, we haven't finished the first leg."