Ambiance at the Torcida, Paris' only croatian bar
“Mi Hrvati, Mi Hrvati…(We, Croatians) This is what the Croatian fans chant to welcome their players onto the pitch. Unfortunately the players don’t hear this as these Croatian fans are not in the Stade de France where they’d like to be, but rather in front of their TV sets. In a bar called the Torcida (named after a football squad in Split, Croatia) in the 20th arrondissement of PARIS, a small part of the Croatian community living in the capital got together to celebrate their country’s first-ever World Cup semi-final appearance. Make-up, team strips and flags: the locals in this the only Croatian bar in PARIS display their colours just like any devoted fans.
First half: the public roars every time Davor SUKER (9) gets hold of the ball. Right at the beginning of the second half, the Croatian hero “rewards” his countrymen by scoring the first goal of the encounter. The Torcida bursts with excitement as the hundred or so fans inside shout for their side. But their joy is short-lived: FRANCE almost immediately gets a goal back. The Croatians hadn’t even finished celebrating, and all of a sudden, their dream of getting to the final was slipping away. Some held their heads in their hands, others couldn’t believe it. The set-back forgotten, they regain confidence, and get some beer…calling out for divine intervention, “Boze pomozi” (God help us). The Croats are a sports-loving people proud of their heritage and history. Then, Lilian THURAM (15) scores a second goal for FRANCE. Behind the red and white checkerboard pattern of the Croatian flag painted on their faces, sadness settles in. Oppressive silence lingers. Fortunately, the “die-hards” get the troops back on their feet. The anguish of defeat fills the air and then Laurent BLANC (5) gets sent off, restoring hope. The chanting starts up again: “zovi samazovi, svi ce za te zevot dali” -(call out and we’ll give you our lives). The last minutes of the match are ticking by, but they still have hope. And then, the whistle blows bringing total disappointment. But it too is short-lived. The party goes on, and the fans now celebrate the fact that their team got that far. “Now, three times as many people are going to know about my country, CROATIA,” shouts Marc. They may go down to the Parc des Princes Saturday to support BLAZEVIC and his players during the third place match against the NETHERLANDS. Should they not have tickets, they’ll go back to the Torcida…