Marina Ferrari ‘gave’ lucky stones to France squad before World Cup | OneFootball

France’s Sports Minister, Marina Ferrari, is said to have given two lucky stones to the national squad before their World Cup campaign, Le Canard enchaîné reports. The gesture came ahead of their departure for the tournament, which runs from 11 June to 19 July.

She addressed the players before lunch and presented the items. France begin their campaign on 16 June against Senegal at 21:00.

One stone was blue jasper, described as a charm for success. The other was rock crystal, said to ward off stress and carry supposed therapeutic qualities.

Ferrari recounted that a supporter gave her a protective stone during her first election campaign more than 20 years ago, and that it has stayed with her since. She said this inspired her to choose star-shaped stones for the squad.

She finished by invoking the team colours, blue and white like their shirt, and invited the players to slip the stones into their socks.

Source: L'Équipe