Football: Fans brave heatwave to support table-topping Monaco

Despite the ongoing heatwave, fans turned out in force to watch AS Monaco in their first open training session of the 2023/24 season on Tuesday.

350 fans braved the heat to watch Les Monégasques in action, as they prepare for Friday night’s match against FC Nantes. Monaco go into the match top of the table and will be looking for a third straight win under new manager Adi Hütter, who has brought the feel-good factor back to the club after a difficult end to last season.

It was the first open training for Denis Zakaria, who arrived at the Principality club last week. The Swiss international was impressed by the turnout for the event.

“There are lots of people here to watch us at training and I’m really pleasantly surprised [by the level of support],” he said.

He added that all of the fans with whom he interacted were “positive”. There is good reason for them to be after AS Monaco scored seven goals in their last two Ligue 1 games.

Whilst it is always exciting for the fans in attendance to watch the stars up close and personal, these events are always reciprocal.

“It’s good to have people who support us, who push us higher, who encourage us,” said Soungoutou Magassa, an academy product that has burst into the first-team setup this season.

“It gives us a lot of strength,” added Zakaria.