Paris subway changes names to honor World Cup champs

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Europe

01:06

France’s soccer coach will have a subway train station named after him to celebrate his World Cup win and poet Victor Hugo will have to share his memorial slot on Paris’s transport map with the team’s goalkeeper and captain.

As “Les Bleus” headed home with the World Cup trophy on Monday, the French capital’s RATP transport authority said it was renaming six metro subway stations in their honor for the day.

One station, Notre-Dame des Champs, will now be called Notre Didier Deschamps (Our Didier Deschamps), in an homage to the coach.

A metro sign "Charles de Gaulle - Etoile" renamed "On a 2 Etoiles", dumping the name of the wartime leader in favor of a phrase in French meaning "We have two stars" one for each World Cup win is seen at a subway train station in Paris. /VCG Photo

Didier Deschamps is one of just three men in the history of the World Cup to take the trophy as team coach after winning it as a player – he helped the team to its first victory in the tournament in 1998.

Victor Hugo station is being renamed Victor Hugo Lloris after captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

Bercy station will become “Bercy les Bleus”, close to “Merci Les Bleus”.

“Les Bleus” are returning on Monday from World Cup host country Russia to celebrate their victory with a parade on the Champs Elysees.

At one end of that avenue another subway stop called “Charles de Gaulle - Etoile” is being renamed “On a 2 Etoiles”, replacing the wartime leader with the boast “We have two stars”, one for each World Cup win.

Source(s): AFP