Criticized for having deprived the Losc players of participation in the Paris Olympics, Olivier Létang will indeed be one of the Olympic flame bearers on July 2 in Lille.
Despite the controversies, Olivier Létang is one of the torchbearers of the Olympic flame. Criticized for not having released his players for the Paris Olympics (Lucas Chevalier, Bafodé Diakité and Lenny Yoro had been mentioned in Thierry Henry’s pre-list), the president of LOSC will carry the flame in Lille on Tuesday, July 2.
Retained among the last torchbearers at the end of the day, the 51-year-old manager explained that the sporting obligations of the Mastiffs, who will compete in a preliminary round of the Champions League, took precedence over the Olympics.
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“Possible qualification for the Champions League is our thing”
After criticism from Jérôme Rothen, who does not support his “double discourse”, Olivier Létang defended his position, recalling that there was no “ambiguity” or “debate”. “I am French and I support my country. We must distinguish the citizen that I am from the president of the Lille club,” said the Lille leader. “The Olympics are fabulous, but the possible qualification for the Champions League is our thing and important for France as well.”
On July 2, seven cities in the Nord department were chosen by the Department and the Paris 2024 organizing committee. At the start of the day, the Olympic flame will pass through the municipalities of Avesnes-sur-Helpe, Dunkirk, Wallers- Arenberg, Cambrai, Tourcoing, Douai to finish in Lille. The arrival is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on the Esplanade du Champ de Mars, where Dany Boon, last torchbearer, will light the cauldron.
