Ligue 2: "Paris FC is growing before our eyes," says journalist Thomas Sotto

Big fan of tennis and Roger Federer, the journalist Thomas Sotto, is also a big supporter of Paris FC which he does not miss a match, with his son Antoine.

He evokes his passion for the Parisian club, which begins the play-offs to climb to Ligue 1 on Tuesday against Grenoble.

Usually, people or journalists are more Paris-SG than Paris FC ...

THOMAS SOTTO.

It's true, for the moment, Paris FC is a niche for people.

But you will see, when we are in the Champions League, that will change

(laughs)

.

So you prefer the stands of Charléty to those of the Parc des Princes?

I like to see great matches.

But above all, I love human stories.

Affectively, I therefore tend to turn to small clubs.

Paris FC is one for the moment.

This gives it an affordable, accessible side where things are simpler.

I can fully understand that big machines like OM or PSG need to overprotect everything.

But at one point, by dint of overprotecting everything, it becomes cold and distant.

Paris FC is the complete opposite of that.

It is a sharing club with its supporters.

When games weren't behind closed doors, players come to salute at the end, even after a loss.

They don't just say hello because we are forcing them.

No, they stay, they take the time to discuss.

That's what I like.

How do you see this club evolving?

With Paris FC, we have the impression of being at the beginning of a beautiful story that is starting to be written.

The next few pages will be pretty, there are prospects that are opening up.

Little by little, things are falling into place.

Paris FC is building.

Me, I like the clubs of builders in opposition to the clubs of mercenaries.

There is always this fantasy of a popular second club and Paris FC can take this place.

It is a club that is growing before our eyes.

Behind President Pierre Ferracci's approach, there are certainly many ambitions.

But it's not all about business.

There is a real human dimension and pleasure.

He does not want to cut corners.

Since when did you become a supporter of Paris FC?

It's been three, four years through my son Antoine (10 and a half years old). I had taken him to the Parc des Princes. But it's weird, he never hooked. He was bored. But while watching BeIN Sports, he discovered that there was a second club in Paris. He fell in love with Paris FC. And he pulled me into his passion. Until the closed session, we did not miss a home game at Charléty. And we watch all the meetings outside. We also went to Orly

(Editor's note: at the training center),

meet the players.

As a journalist, I could always come and watch the matches at Charléty.

But my pleasure is to watch them with my son, at home even if we are frustrated not to be at the stadium.

My son plays goalkeeper with his friends so he has become a fan of Vincent Demarconnay.

He has immense admiration for her.

Me too, by the way ...

Read alsoLigue 2: "a real journey" awaits Paris FC in the play-offs

For what reasons ?

With Vincent, we send each other messages, we discuss.

I love his personality, what he exudes beyond being a very great goalkeeper.

Paris FC is first and foremost a state of mind and it embodies it perfectly.

He's a good, simple guy who is always disconcerting by nature.

He knows where he comes from, he knows what he owes to the club and what the club owes him… He is 38 years old and he has achieved consecration for an athlete: to embody the face of his club.

He has become a legend that has marked the history of Paris FC.

In 20 or 30 years, we will always remember him as we have not forgotten the PSG players of the 1980s.

What other players do you like?

I like Laura, Abdi, Arab, Lopez… Two years ago, I loved Wamangituka

(Editor's note: transferred in 2019 to Stuttgart for 8 million euros, club record)

. Too bad he's gone. I find this team very engaging. There is a real group. We can tell that something is going on. I'm not counting all the games where they pulled out to score in the final minutes. It denotes a certain spirit. I like this idea of ​​never giving up. After that, of course, this team also has shortcomings. When we had so many points in advance, we shouldn't even be talking about dams. This team struggles for an entire game. There is also a dramaturgy around this club. We almost went up with the dams lost against Lens, then we were close to going down last year. There, we were first and we collapsed a bit. With Paris FC, you never know what will happen in advance. It is not a machine and I find it deeply human.Even if it is not too relaxing for us, the supporters…

You have become the sponsor of the promotion of the Academy of Paris FC ...

I am certainly the worst footballer in the world and to be recruited by a club for the first time at 47 years old is an honor.

It's a bit complicated with the restrictions, but the idea is to follow and see these young people again.

I am happy to highlight the training which is the learning of life.

I like the idea of ​​saying to each other we are going to take a kid, we are going to help him achieve his dream, but if that does not work, we will have offered him a baggage and we will not let him go into nature with nothing .

Do you lobby for Paris FC with your colleagues?

What do they think of your passion for this club?

I claim it and play it… As soon as I can slip in the result of a match or wink

(Editor's note: he wore the PFC mask during a show… at the Velodrome stadium)

, I don't know. 'do not deprive.

Paris FC is still an unknown club so I try to talk about it as much as possible around me.

When I received Lilian Thuram at RTL, I told him that my son was crazy about Paris FC.

He replied, lodger, "now you have to talk to him".

I also asked Olivier Giroud if he saw himself transferred to Paris FC to reconstitute a dissolved league with René Girard…

(Editor's note: they were champions of France with Montpellier in 2012).

Paris FC is in play-offs.

Do you believe in a rise in L1?

Compared to their season, it would have been unfair if they weren't in play-offs. It will be very complicated to go up because there are a lot of matches to be won. On a misunderstanding, it can pass… But if it is not for this year, I am sure that Paris FC will be in L1 within 2-3 years. I am a big dreamer. But I hope that when my son is 20 or 30 years old and he watches a Paris FC Champions League match, he can say to himself, we were there at the start of the adventure with my father ...