I salute you Nantes even as I read the unsettling news from Beaujoire stadium as originally reported by Reuters and posted at EuroSport:
The last home match for Nantes in Ligue 1 was marred by confusing scenes which symbolised the downfall of the once great club. Their penultimate match of a disastrous season, at home to Toulouse, was heading towards a 0-0 draw when it was abandoned in the 87th minute after hundreds of angry fans had invaded the pitch.
The fans placed the blame for the season squarely on the new owners, displaying a banner that read, "Dassault rends les armes." which Reuters translated as Dassault (the new owner) killed us.
Also, commenting earlier on relegation, Nantes defender Franck Signorino said, "People have fought for decades to make this club one of the greatest in France and now we're going down, I feel ashamed to have taken part in this disaster."
Fabian Barthez has vowed to play on even as he commented on the debacle of a season. "It has been difficult at Nantes because people of the club started rumours, they called journalists to tell them to write wrong things about me. But I did the maximum I could and I still can look at myself in the mirror. Maybe I invested myself too much in the dressing room, I should have concentrated myself on my performances rather than talking to the guys. It wouldn't be a problem for me to play on, I want to start a human adventure. I love France, I love Ligue 1."
Allez Nantes. Follow the link to read the story in French at the team website.
This is the very elegant Place Royale near the center of Nantes.
I watched the Louis Vuitton again today and I found it more interesting in a train wreck sort of way. The team sponsored by the rich Americans melted completely down. First the skipper, after meeting with the head of the syndicate, either stepped down or was sacked. In any case, BMW Oracle brought in a new leader for what turned out to be its final appearance. They went out on the water and the Italian Luna Rossa again outclassed the American boat to advance to the challenge round finals. I am trying to keep track here but I admit that I am starting to have some difficulty keeping straight which New Zealander is sailing for which syndicate. *sigh* The travails of the excessively wealthy. I wonder if I won the lottery.
4 comments:
My French is old and rusty, but 'rend les armes' could be more colorful. 'Rend' is to tear, and les armes could be les armes, so maybe Dassault tore off our arms? Colorful, but perhaps not an accurate transation. LVC also featured a defeat of the Kiwi's today -- sorry, Emirates NZ. (Kiwi's are on all the teams, pretty much.) And if you haven't been watching, you might not know that Russel Coutts, the guy who won the last THREE America's Cup races, 2 times for NZ and once for Alinghi/Swiss, is not sailing for ANYBODY this time around. So the best skipper in the world will not be in this set of regatta's. It's like a Td'F without Lance.
Two things:
Most excellent commentary by Santini. Both humorous and informative.
Secondly, I admire anyone who uses the word penultimate in their conversation (in writing or in person).
OK, three things. I recommend visiting Nantes and seeing the "very elegant Place Royale."
Rendre les armes means literally to give back/return the weapons (armes = weapons and/or guns). Rendre is to give back or return, for whatever it's worth. So I guess if I were to translate it, I'd say that the owner gave up the weapons (of the team?), which would effectively kill them, I suppose. I like the Reuters translation a bit better.
I liked my translation, but accuracy is always good. :-)
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