French ambassador’s Madrid residence hosts mixed crowd for semi-final, calm holds even at 2-0 | OneFootball

The French ambassador’s residence in Madrid turned its Bastille Day reception into a neutral venue for the semi-final, with 2,500 French and Spanish guests watching on giant screens and keeping things courteous even as Spain went 2-0 up.

According to L'Équipe, the annual 14 July event began at 19:00 with a suits and ties request, yet football shirts appeared within minutes.

Set in one of central Madrid’s largest private gardens, there was champagne, iced macarons and cannelés topped with tiny French flags. About half the crowd seemed Spanish, judging by the outcry over a foul on Lucas Digne.

With Spain’s Interior Minister and the minister for Equality present, and the broadcast muted across three big screens, celebrations stayed restrained.

Spain opened the scoring, a French guest suggested a few more drinks could make things tetchy, but it never did. The second goal drew a louder response from Spanish attendees, and by 21:00 most guests were watching rather than networking.

Ambassador Kareen Rispal had anticipated the scenario, instructing staff to set up several screens, saying the best team should win while hoping to see France triumph. Smiling with a blue, white and red fan in hand, her pre-match address sidestepped the row over Mariano Rajoy’s racist remarks.

Pierre, a French baker based in Spain who spent the night serving guests, said he would rather have watched with his dual-national children and feared a Spanish win in front of his Spanish staff.

Source: L'Équipe