Obelgix denounces the Belgian crowd's whistles before the French anthem
In the King Baudouin Stadium, while Belgium hosted France on Monday evening, 2,671 Belgian supporters whistled the French national anthem, triggering the reaction of the fervent supporter Obelgix, alias Nicolas Dardenne, an iconic figure of the Red Devils since 2015.
Obelgix, present at the stadium, immediately noticed the whistles that erupted during the French anthem. He said that this gesture was unacceptable, whether at home or abroad. Dressed in his black‑yellow‑red suit, he follows the Red Devils around the world, making his presence almost unavoidable at major events.
“I obviously regret the whistling during the French national anthem. It’s not at all something I appreciate, whether at home or on the road,” he explained. He recalled that the national anthem represents a country’s identity and deserves to be honoured. He emphasized that respect for another country’s anthem is essential.
Call for respect
Obelgix stressed the need to replace whistles with applause during opposing anthems. “For next times, I will ask them to applaud the opposing anthem instead. Afterwards, we whistle because we are not happy with a play or because there is a foul, that’s logical. But there must be respect regarding the opposing anthem,” he affirmed. He believes that respect must take precedence over frustration.
During the match, he met several French supporters and described the exchange as “good‑natured rivalry”. “We are neighbours, we can lose or win, but there must always be respect between the people we meet,” he added. He highlighted that camaraderie among supporters should take precedence over sporting tensions.
Italian example
On Friday evening, Belgium beat Italy 0‑2 in Rome, where Obelgix was also present at the Stadio Olimpico. He denounced the lack of respect from some Italian supporters, recalling that “we saw kids — maybe 300 or 500 — who insulted us throughout the match, with middle fingers, etc., youngsters aged 16 to 20 or 25 years old”. He concluded that this behaviour has no place in football, especially at the national team level.
For Obelgix, respect in football transcends borders and rivalries. He concluded that “I don’t want a day, in Italy or any other country, to be insulted or have beer thrown at our faces,” reminding that respect is essential to preserve the family spirit of the sport.