OGC Nice to pay tribute to victims killed in Bastille Day terror attack
Ligue 1 side OGC Nice will embrace their new season on Sunday wearing a special kit to honour the victims of the Nice terror attack last month. It will definitely be a heartwarming day for Le Gym, who secured a fourth place last season under new Southampton boss Claude Puel.
The city was astonished by tragic events last month when 85 people were killed and 307 injured on July 14th when a cargo truck ran into crowds celebrating Bastille Day on Nice's Promenade. The attack was described as the worst terror attack in France since the Paris attacks in November last year.
So, on Sunday, when OGC Nice begin their new campaign at home to Stade de Rennes, they will not be wearing their usual black and red stripes jersey. To remember those victims, Nice will pay homage by wearing a variation of their white away kit by replacing sponsor Mutuelles du Soleil with the logo of a heart interlinked with the names of the 85 people who passed away.
Classy as hell from Nice. 84 terror victims names on the jersey. https://t.co/6T6nqzga9F
— Diarmuid Nolan (@dermonolan91) August 11, 2016
The club has also requested all its supporters to show their affinity by dressing in white for the match. The players will enter the stadium with the fans asked to maintain silence during their entry and on the 85th minute, a tribute to the victims will be flashed on the big screen and will be repeated at every game in the Allianz Riviera.
After the match, the shirts will be auctioned with money being donated to victims charities.
Nice’s opponents for the match, Stade de Rennais will also continue to wear their normal colours but will display the same heart design on their shirt instead of their sponsor.
This is not the first time teams have come out and have shown affection to victims of terror attacks. Previously, Italian side A.S. Roma paid tribute to two of their fallen fans who died following their Champions League clash against Bayern Munich two years ago.
- Father and son, Stefano and Cristiano, were killed in a scooter accident while driving home from A.S. Roma's Champions League game. Stefano and Cristiano were loyal fans to the game and to their team. Their tragic deaths left Stefano's wife, Luana, a widow and their young daughter Michelle, without a brother.
- A.S. Roma invited Luana and her daughter to their next game. When they arrived, they found every Roma player was wearing t-shirts with pictures of the pair displayed on the front. The photo had been taken at the last game the father and son saw.
Roma decided to honour the victims with this class act It is always pleasant to see football teams make a good gesture and pay tribute to victims. Even with the tragedies that have occurred in the past, teams have done the world a better good by integrating people through the sport. Moments like these is what makes football more than a game.