French Ambassador to Bangladesh Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet admits that he has never seen passion for football like in Bangladesh. In an email interview with TIMES of Bangladesh, he reflects on his early memory of watching FIFA World Cup football. Also, he expresses ardent support for his home team France.
How would you describe the level of enthusiasm you have observed among Bangladeshi people for the FIFA World Cup?
I am very impressed by the enthusiasm and passion of the Bangladeshi people for this World Cup. I must admit, I have never seen anything like this in any of the countries where I have been posted.
It is truly remarkable. The other day, I was in Chittagong, and upon arriving at the airport, I saw a sea of flags from all over the world flying from the rooftops of the buildings, and I found it to be a wonderful sight.
Bangladesh has no history of qualifying for the World Cup, yet the country is often described as having some of the most passionate football fans in the world. How do you interpret this phenomenon?
You don’t need a top national team to be passionate about a sport. Football inspires dreams, transcending national borders, because the spectacle it offers is fantastic. It’s important to recognize the beauty of the sport, and today’s football has made significant progress and is very exciting.
You can feel it, a contrario, when you see teams that show no fair play, teams that focus more on hindering the opposing team with reprehensible actions than on playing with the ball and creating beautiful football. Some players are not afraid to fall to the ground and feign injuries.
This is despicable and should be much more severely punished. It degrades the show that fans, regardless of their country, and especially Bangladeshi fans, are entitled to.
Could you share any personal anecdotes or observations from your time in Bangladesh that illustrate the depth of public engagement with the tournament, such as street decorations, public viewing gatherings, or conversations with local citizens?
It’s undeniable that the World Cup is currently dominating everyone’s thoughts in Bangladesh. There’s an incredible amount of attention and engagement. Being French, many Bangladeshi friends come to me to express their support for Mbappé and the French team.
Personally, I’ve always loved the World Cup because, when I was a child, it was a way for me to learn the different flags and also to learn more about the countries participating in the tournament. In 1978, when I was 8 years old, I learned what a “military dictatorship” was because the World Cup was being held in Argentina.
I also learned that orange was the color of the Netherlands and that it originated from a town in southern France called Orange, where the ancestors of the Dutch king were princes. This year, there are 48 teams, representing almost a quarter of all the nations in the world.
This demonstrates the almost universal nature of sports in general, and football in particular, and how the entire world shares these exceptional moments.
In your view, what does this widespread passion for football reveal about Bangladeshi culture and society, and is there a parallel sporting tradition in your own country that compares to it?
I believe that this passion among Bangladeshis for football reveals, above all, a love for aesthetics, for beautiful plays, and for teamwork. And also a desire to identify with heroes, with exceptional players.
There’s no doubt that this is unique. Often, fans support a club because it’s the club of their city, but in this case, in Bangladesh, it’s a free and voluntary commitment to the beauty of the game.
Finally, do you have a personal favourite team or player in this year’s tournament, and would you care to share your own prediction for the outcome?
If my priority is to watch a good game, I won’t hide the fact that I’m a die-hard supporter of the French national team. I was very worried during the first match, which was rather lackluster, but they have improved a lot since the beginning of the tournament.
“Les Bleus” are putting on a very enjoyable performance, a kind of ‘samba football’ , as one says, or ‘Champagne football’ – vibrant, dynamic, joyous and full of movement. Many players are excellent in this World Cup: Haaland, Salah…
Of course, Mbappé is the one who impresses me the most with his composure, his effectiveness, but also because he has become a true leader. He is truly the captain, respected by his team, and he is using his incredible talent to serve the team. And I think that’s truly impressive.
