The Paris police are preparing for a hot night with 2,000 emergency services. The semi-finals of the soccer World Cup between France and Morocco are not only sporty. The events of the past few weeks have put several capitals on alert.
Coach Walid Regragui was born in Corbeil-Essonnes on the banks of the Seine. His captain Romain Saiss and winger Sofiane Boufal also have a French birthplace on their passport. Only twelve players of the Sensations semi-finalists are originally from Morocco. Abdelhamid Sabiri even played in the German U21 team. But before the World Cup semi-final against France on Wednesday (8 p.m., on ZDF, on MagentaTV and in the ntv.de live ticker), national pride could not be greater.
“No one can take my heart from my country. Every Moroccan is a Moroccan,” confessed Regragui, who also emphasized that it was “an honor” for him to be born in France. Not everyone deals with the situation as relaxed as the 47-year-old. Before the duel in the Al-Bayt stadium in Al-Khor, the police in Paris are on high alert. Around 2,000 police officers are to prevent riots between the fan camps.
While French and Moroccan supporters also took to the streets together after their quarter-final victories, there was also plenty of rioting and destruction. More than 100 North African fans were arrested in the Paris area for damaging property and violence against law enforcement officials. In other European cities, such as Brussels, there were some unsightly scenes. “It shouldn’t happen. Football should be a celebration,” said Regragui in Doha.
But the first mandatory football game of both nations does not only hold sporting explosiveness. In 1912, Morocco lost its independence through the protectorate treaty signed by the Sultan with France, which the country regained 44 years later. French became the official language in all administrative structures and political bodies, and the population’s aversion to the colonial power was great. In France, too, there were and are reservations. The right-wing national Rassemblement National (RN) party diligently collected votes by stirring up resentment against people with North African roots.
The World Cup semi-finalists want nothing to do with that. “It’s a football game, even if there is a history between our two countries,” said France coach Didier Deschamps. Superstar Kylian Mbappe and Moroccan Achraf Hakimi play at Paris St. Germain – they are friends. And Regragui made it clear: “If we don’t make it, we will congratulate France and support them in the final.”
