Throwback to the FIGHT AIDS CUP 2024 : A real success
03/02/2024
The fourth edition of the FIGHT AIDS CUP took place last January 22th at the Louis II stadium.
H.S.H. Prince Albert II and Louis Ducruet’s Barbagiuans took on H.S.H. Princess Stéphanie’s CIRQUE FC.
Accompanied, as usual, by the Clowns in Folly, the players from both teams and the Princely Family arrived on the pitch.
As is the case every year, the friendly, sporting rivalry between the two teams was in full swing, and it was time for Louis Ducruet’s Barbagiuans to put the title they won in the previous edition on the line.
Although he did not play (injured), CIRQUE FC captain Sébastien Frey was on hand to support and push his team to victory.
Despite the charitable stakes, as we might have imagined, the competitive nature of all the players was soon apparent. A hard-fought match, duels… everyone wanted to win the prestigious FIGHT AIDS CUP trophy.
The technical quality was top-notch, and the participants were always delighted to meet up again, several years after having competed at the highest level in the world…
Barbagiuans president Louis Ducruet played the entire match.
Once again, Charles Leclerc was on the pitch for a large part of the first half, before giving up his place.
The Monegasque F1 driver honoured the organisers of the event with his presence and the commitment he has shown to the Barbagiuans and FIGHT AIDS MONACO.
THE MATCH
In the opening minutes, CIRQUE FC, led by the great Clarence Seedorf, controlled possession and created the first clear-cut chances. Determined to get back to winning ways, H.S.H. Princess Stéphanie’s team dominated proceedings and opened the scoring through Youri Djorkaeff. 1/0 for CIRQUE FC
Not satiated, the Circadian side kept up their momentum and prevented the Barbagiuans from creating any clear-cut situations. As solid as ever, they delayed the deadline on several occasions but were unable to prevent what seemed inevitable… the breakthrough goal came for CIRQUE FC thanks to Clarence Seedorf, who was omnipresent on the pitch. The goal was the culmination of a period of unbridled domination by H.S.H. Princess Stéphanie’s team. 2/0 for CIRQUE FC
The attacks on Monaco’s Barbagiuans’ goal were multiplying and were causing problems for AS MONACO’s long-standing central defensive pairing of Sébastien Squillaci and Gaël Givet.
The latter was forced to commit a foul in the penalty area, resulting in a penalty. The sovereign called for VAR (of course there was none…) to no avail. 3/0 to CIRQUE FC with Robert Pires’ goal, which caught Daniel Subasic off guard.
The half-time whistle blew and the crowd were treated to a performance by the Paris fire brigade just outside the royal box. At the start of the second half, the trend was completely reversed… As if reinvigorated, Monaco’s Barbagiuans turned the match on its head by showing themselves to be dangerous on several occasions.Possession had switched sides and CIRQUE FC were struggling to get out of their own half. The Barbagiuans were not about to relinquish the trophy just like that… Logically, H.S.H. Prince Albert II’s team reduced the deficit… Who better than Javier Ernesto Chevanton, last year’s man of the match… to score and put the Barbagiuans back on track. 3/1
A few minutes later, Chevanton scored again but his goal was disallowed for offside by referee Gaël Angoula. Despite friendly protests from the sovereign, the score remained intact.
The Uruguayan made amends, bringing the score back to 3/2 after a superb right-footed strike through the middle of the opposing defenders.
A few minutes before the end of the game, the proceedings stabilised and despite a few chances from both sides, the score remained level and CIRQUE FC won 3/2, as the Barbagiuans had done last year.
Gathered together for a good cause, it was time for the players to celebrate their presence on the pitch together.
The trophy was presented to H.S.H. Princess Stéphanie’s team, who were delighted to be back on top of the FIGHT AIDS CUP! At the Barbagiuans gala, Youri Djorkaeff was presented as the Man of the Match and received the trophy by the Sovereign. He succeeds Javier Ernesto Chevanton, who scored twice again this year.
Sébastien Frey, captain of CIRQUE FC:
« I’m delighted to have won the FIGHT AIDS CUP for the third time. The princess told me how happy she was and thanked us, along with all the players.
Once again this year, we were able to raise substantial funds for FIGHT AIDS MONACO, which is why we are here. The objective has been achieved, and the event continues to grow and improve over the years, so we can look forward to future editions with ambition and confidence. I’d like to thank the Princely Family and congratulate Louis Ducruet, a key figure in the organisation of this gala evening. We’ll be there next year to keep up the momentum and, of course, put the trophy back on the line. »
Louis Ducruet, President of Barbagiuans and organiser of the event:
« This fourth edition has lived up to all its promises. I’m proud to see the FIGHT AIDS CUP evolve, always with the presence and support of football legends. The idea is to put the spotlight back on the charity, and once again we’ve done just that. I know that the funds raised will be put to good use and I’m delighted to be contributing to the development and sustainability of FIGHT AIDS MONACO through the organisation of this event. I would have liked to keep the title for another year, but that’s the way it is. I saw that the participants enjoyed themselves, as did the public, and that’s what really counts. I congratulate CIRQUE FC and we’ll be back next year for a sporting result that I hope will be in Barbagiuans’ favour. »
