skip to main content

Paris to rename Metro stations in Moscow heroes' honour

France's soccer coach will have a Metro 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 underground train stations in their honour for the day.

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

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" - Thank You Blues.

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

Deschamps' players give him the bumps

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.

With demand for the French team jersey surging, police urged crowds to move away from the entrance of the Nike shop on the Champs Elysees early on Monday.

Read Next