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What are French crowds chanting? Why do French basketball fans chant ‘Allez Les Bleus’ at the Olympics?

What are French crowds chanting? Why do French basketball fans chant ‘Allez Les Bleus’ at the Olympics?

With the 2024 Olympic Games being held in Paris and its surrounding areas, French national teams have gained advantages in many areas.

Among the most notable French national teams at the Olympics are the men’s and women’s basketball teams, who enter the games with realistic goals such as reaching the podium.

As well as stars like Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama, Marine Johannes and Gabby Williams driving their team forward, France also have the support of their home fans, giving their team a real home advantage every time they take the field.

When watching France play in front of their home fans, you may notice the crowd chanting throughout the match. Here’s more information on what the fans are saying and why.

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What are the French fans chanting?

French fans attending sports events shout “Allez Les Bleus!” meaning “Come on Blues!”

As the colours of the French flag are blue, white and red, their national team traditionally wears blue and is affectionately referred to as Les Bleus or the Blues. This chant can also be heard during France’s football matches and was chanted with pride during the team’s progress towards the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

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The feminine version of the term for the women’s national team is “Allez Les Bleues”, with the e added. The correct spelling when referring to both teams is “Allez Les Bleus”.

In short, the Allez Les Bleus chant is a creative way for fans of the French national team to support their team without chanting “Come on France” or anything similar. It is one of the most recognizable and popular chants in all international competitions.

At the Tokyo Games, France’s women’s team won bronze while the men’s team took silver. Three years later, each will be aiming for even better results, with the support of their home fans who will continue to cheer as loudly as they can.