8-Year-Old’s Dream of Attending First Football Match Shattered by Bus Attack

Young Fan’s Dream Shattered as Lyon Bus Incident Postpones Match

Nathys, an 8-year-old football enthusiast, had been eagerly anticipating her first live match at the Vélodrome stadium last Sunday. However, her excitement quickly turned into disappointment when the match was postponed due to the unfortunate incident involving the Lyon bus earlier that evening.

Having left Compiègne (Oise) at 4 a.m. on Sunday, Nathys arrived at the stadium with stars in her eyes. “It was my dream to see the players come out,” she fondly recalls.

But her dream soon turned into a nightmare as the rocking of the Lyon bus and the injury of OL coach Fabio Grosso led to the match being called off. “When we heard that the match was going to be canceled, I was in my dad’s arms and I cried. I wanted to see my favorite players like Aubameyang, but we couldn’t,” laments the young football fan from Compiègne.

“You can never prepare a child for the shattering of their dream”

During the evening, Nathys’ father had a sinking feeling that the match might not take place. “We were getting ready to break the news to her when we saw on social media that it was unlikely to happen. But you can never prepare a child for the shattering of their dream. We know how to explain and console ourselves, but she doesn’t,” confides Anthony, Nathys’ father.

Together with Nathys’ godfather, Anthony had meticulously planned this trip since September. A weekend in Marseille to watch OM play during the school holidays, which ended up costing nearly 700 euros in total.

“In the end, it was a lot of anticipation for very little,” laments Anthony. “For nothing at all,” adds Maxime, the godfather, who continues, “It was quite challenging coming back…”

“They are not true supporters”

Unsurprisingly, the individuals responsible for the violence surrounding the stadium cannot escape blame. “For us, they are not true supporters. If you are a genuine supporter, you wouldn’t do everything in your power to prevent the match from happening. We are not the only ones who have traveled a long way. You need to be able to make sacrifices, work hard, and have the means. What happened has put a burden on us,” expresses Maxime.

“We will do everything in our power to make sure Nathys realizes her dream and finally sees the players enter this stadium,” concludes Nathys’ godfather. These words bring a smile back to the young supporter’s face. Despite the disappointment, she proudly wears the tracksuit of her favorite club and declares, “I still love OM so much!” even from over 800km away from the Vélodrome.