Football. This is the first time I have seen a football match: Clermont players partners of the Autism Inclusion Center.

On Friday, April 10, Clermont Foot 63 will host Nancy for the 30th matchday of Ligue 2 with a special feature for this game: players (from Clermont and Nancy) will enter the field accompanied by 23 children from the autism inclusion program of the Jacques Chirac Foundation.

Between shyness and wonder, on the sidelines of the Clermont Foot match, children supported by the autism inclusion program are experiencing a unique experience. “It’s the first time I’ve seen a football match, usually I watch it on TV and now, it’s for real,” rejoices Mathis Charpentier, accompanied by the Jacques Chirac Foundation. Marie-France, his mother, says: “Last night, there was a lot of stress, he wanted to cancel everything and then we said ‘no, we committed, the players will be disappointed, can you imagine?’ And since he is kind-hearted and loves to please, it worked. Now he is more confident so it’s better.”

Behind these moments of joy, sports play an essential role, that of creating connections and promoting inclusion. “For autism spectrum disorder, social interactions may be altered. This allows them to work on social interactions and at the same time, they are happy because Léandre and the others like football. It makes a very playful day for them,” says Emile Feix, a specialized educator at the Jacques Chirac Foundation.

Signing sessions, photos with the players, a moment of sharing and emotion, even for these professional athletes, because behind the jersey, there are men touched by these encounters. “When we see them smiling while we complain about trivial things, we realize that there are children with other concerns, so it puts things into perspective for us. I know that personally, when I come out of a morning like that, I am full of energy because smiles are always pleasant,” explains Théo Guivarch, goalkeeper of Clermont Foot 63.

Discovery of the performance center, immersion in the locker rooms, and the highlight of this operation, the match against Nancy with a jersey specially designed for the occasion. “These are the children who made drawings, which were directly incorporated into the design of the jerseys. And each player will wear the first name of a child on the back and not their last name,” says Sébastien Dutheil, deputy director of the autism inclusion program, Jacques Chirac Foundation. Before the excitement of Friday, there is a location check at the stadium. A relaxed atmosphere for these champions for a day before accompanying the players onto the field, under the spotlight, in front of thousands of supporters.

– Article based on the report by Léa Broquerie and Laurent Pastural for France 3 Auvergne