Supreme harmony is the coincidence of opposites,” wrote Jacques Lacarrière in L’été grec (The Greek Summer), a pioneering travelogue published in 1976. Half a century later, this delightful phrase could highlight Les Aiglons’ arrival in Paris, on the other side of France, under a blazing sun and 30°C – seven degrees warmer than when they set off. And the least one can say on the eve of the final is that opposites coexisted at the Stade de France, during a momentous afternoon when the Rouge et Noir delegation entered an 80,000-seat stadium, four years after the era of Andy, JC and Khephren, with heads full of doubt and hearts full of hope.

Lens, who were drawn as the 'home' side, had the luxury of setting the schedule for the day. And they did so with great confidence, in the wake of a formidable season that saw them finish second in Ligue 1. Under the watchful eye of Mèfi, who was in the midst of her preview warm-up, Les Aiglons were the first to arrive at the Stade de France. Four days after the final matchday of the Ligue 1 season, and five days before the first leg of the relegation play-off against Saint-Étienne. Between two season-defining moments, Le Gym were ensconced in their own little bubble, from which Claude Puel and Dante emerged to begin a press conference at 14:45. They spoke jointly of a “magnificent event that we will prepare for with 100% conviction”.

“It's a tremendous week for the club, for the fans, for all the staff and also for the players,” said Dante. "So, the outlook must be positive because we’re talking about a match, we’re talking about a final, a match that’s also very important for everyone, for the club’s history. And after these matches, we’ll be able to focus on correcting everything that has gone wrong this season…”

Standing beside the coach, the CommanDante, who is in his final week as a player at the age of 42, refused to give in to emotion. A legend looking to make history, he finished with a smile, then headed out onto the pitch to begin the final team training session before the final.

After this first quarter of an hour that was open to the press, at the edge of a pitch that seemed small in a vast arena, it was time for the Lens press conference to begin, with coach Pierre Sage and captain Adrien Thomasson at the podium for the final's clear favourites: “A final is decided by status, but also by a touch of the unpredictable,” explained the man who has just been voted Ligue 1’s best coach. “Even if we’re considered the favourites, we’ll need to bring that touch of unpredictability because Nice will certainly do so. We’ll have to play one of our best matches of the season to win.”

“There’s inevitably a special feeling about playing this kind of match in this context,” continued the Lens manager as he set the scene. "It’s a match pitting two rivals against each other. By which I mean I suppose the price per square metre in Lens isn’t the same as on the Promenade des Anglais. They’re two rather different worlds. We also have a duty to represent an entire community and a history that, for the time being, has not borne fruit in this competition. We are determined to fly our colours high and proud to rectify this anomaly.”

The Lens players then took to the pitch for their pre-match session. The Rouge et Noir delegation, meanwhile, left the Stade de France to return to their base camp.

Thinking of those who are preparing to leave the Promenade des Anglais and its exorbitant property prices to cross the country and come and support them. Wishing them a safe journey and saying “Thank you”, just like Maurice Cohen, who was right at the heart of the group on this eve of battle.

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