It’s a tradition that has lasted for three decades. Far from the football stadiums, around forty football enthusiasts meet at the start of each season to bring their own championship to life. Welcome to the world of Ballondor.
Created by Frédéric Thomasson in 1994, this game has stood the test of time to become a true institution among these football fans. “There were eight of us at the start. The idea was mainly to experience the championship differently,” explains the man known as the president, even though no official structure exists. “We are not organized as an association but there are very precise rules that are officially registered. However, everything has remained very artisanal. As one of the players rightly says, “it’s a game registered with the registry of the café du commerce.”
A game where you only bet with play money
Thirty years later, in 2024, no fewer than 30 teams, made up of one, two or even three players, are registered. Participants who are friends for some, and who do not know each other outside of the game for others. So, to identify themselves, these aficionados have chosen football clubs as code names, most of them European. Giants like Ajax Amsterdam, FC Barcelona, FC Sevilla, Liverpool, Manchester United and Juventus rub shoulders with outsiders such as FC Utrecht or Birmingham, in the same game, the Ballondor.
“Everyone has the same goal: to see their team name engraved forever on the supreme trophy.”
Frédéric Thomasson (Creator of Ballondor)
Like professional football, Ballondor is structured into leagues, three in total since last year. This competitive pyramid thus helps to breathe new life into the game, where promotion and relegation become real stakes. Money is not one of the stakes. Unlike the world of football, which is often dominated by financial considerations, Ballondor is completely detached from them. Here, it is only a friendly competition in which only fictitious money is bet and where only a trophy is to be won.
A marathon day
A cup also pays tribute to the late Jean-Luc Ribar, a Ballondor player for several seasons. “Everyone has the same goal: to see their team name engraved forever on the supreme trophy,” assures Frédéric Thomasson, who relies on an outstanding playmaker, “Marco” Pons, who ensures the smooth running of the convivial moments and competitions, supported in particular by Paul Brideau, well known to Roanne sportsmen.
It was at the Roanne establishment Le Now Why, which has become the temple of this tradition this year, that the most anticipated moment of the year took place: the auction. These enthusiasts had gathered on Saturday, September 7 after the end of the “transfer window”, armed with a staggering budget of 800 million ballondors, the game’s currency, ready to fight to secure the services of the most coveted players in Ligue 1 McDonald’s. “If we miss the auction, the season could be long.”
It is a moment that perfectly reflects the temperament of each person.
On the floors of the Roanne brewery, the atmosphere that reigned was a rather fascinating mix of concentration and excitement. The participants, like strategists, had sharpened their knowledge during the previous days. Because every detail can count: physical form of the players, recent performances, or even potential injuries are all factors to control.
At the heart of this excitement was an iconic figure: the barker. Like a conductor, he announced each player up for auction, regulated the bids and maintained a steady pace throughout the marathon day. His voice echoed through the assembly, punctuating each outbidding.
But what was most striking in those rooms of Now Why was the intensity of the engagement. Eyes were focused, pens scratched frantically across paper, capturing every crucial piece of information in order to adjust strategy in real time. “It’s a moment that perfectly reflects the temperament of each person.”
Their “11” every weekend
As the auction day ended in Roanne, the participants parted ways, their minds already turned to the upcoming season. Because in this parallel championship that they created, football never really stops. It continues to live every weekend, as the matches approach. Taking on their role as virtual managers, the Ballondor players send out, with metronomic regularity, their team line-up, their “11” as they say, as well as the men on the bench, refining their strategies according to the footballers’ real performances, last-minute injuries or suspensions. A weekly routine that keeps the flame of competition alive throughout the season, transforming each day of the championship into a moment of excitement. “It forces us to really follow the championship, there are stakes every weekend, even if it’s not our favorite team playing,” reveals the creator of Ballondor.
The return of Dean Léon, 88 years old
Among the few familiar faces of Ballondor, others had not appeared in the ranks of the game for many years.
Léon, 88, the first winner of the Ballondor in 1995, returned to Roanne for the thirtieth edition of the game. But he did not return alone. This time, he was accompanied by Frédéric, his son, who was also playing at the time, and his grandson, Julien. Between the three of them, they play under the name of Liverpool.
“We are aiming for Ligue 1 in four years”
They don’t intend to be extras
And these three men from the Lyon region do not intend to be extras for their return. “We started again in Ligue 3, as we have not played since 2014. But our goal is to move up to Ligue 2 next year and we are aiming for Ligue 1 in the next four years,” they explained.
And if Léon and Frédéric are football fans, supporters of Olympique Lyonnais, this is not the case for Julien. “I am here to perpetuate the family tradition. My father and my grandfather take care of the strategies, I manage the accounts,” he confided, equipped with his laptop.
A round trip from Norway
Originally from Lyon and living in Norway for ten years, Christophe, aka Celtic Glasgow, wouldn’t miss the auction for anything in the world.
No less than 2,000 kilometres separate him from Roanne. And yet. For ten years now, Christophe has been living north of Oslo in Norway with his partner. But this player since 1996 does not hesitate, every year, to fly for several hours to meet up with his Ballondor buddies. “It’s not the end of the world,” he jokes. “I go back to France about six times a year and one of those six times is for the Ballondor.”
Green as a wink
A true enthusiast, Christophe can’t imagine stopping this little merry-go-round. “I’ve been doing this for almost 30 years. I can’t imagine not taking part in the auctions for two seconds. There’s nothing to win, so it’s not essential, but that’s what makes it fun. Playing every weekend allows me to keep this little connection with France.”
A supporter of the AS Saint-Étienne Greens, the expatriate had to choose a team name to participate, outside of French clubs so as not to create confusion. “I tried to find a club that wore a green jersey, as a little nod to ASSE. I think I’m the only one who has a team name whose jersey is green (laughs). »
Pauline Michaud
