FRANCE 98 – Saudi Arabia settles in

At the Hotel Sofitel in Marcq-en-Baroeul (50 km from LENS), where SAUDI ARABIA are based, nothing has been left to chance. Two floors have been put aside for the Saudi contingent, which has been placed under police protection. A room for prayer and a massage room have been specially installed in the hotel for the Saudi team, which has also brought along its own chef. “Everything has been arranged to suit their customs,” explains Dominique Bacquet, the Sofitel manager. “Since they eat all night, we prepare food for them from 22 h 30 until morning prayers. No particular instructions have been given to our staff; we simply ask them to avoid provocative behaviour and to be natural. We’ve also removed alcohol from the hotel room mini-bars, and disconnected the pay-per-view channels.”