Nicolas Sarkozy's Socialist party "heir apparent"?

Let's talk football (or soccer, if you like) for a moment with just a dash of political "intrigue".

Sunday saw the so-called return "Classico", "Classique" "Derby" or whatever you wish to call it, of the season between arguably the country's two most popular (in terms of fan base at least) teams.

Paris-Saint Germain (PSG) entertaining arch rivals (bring out the sporting clichés) Olympique de Marseille (OM) at home with the Qatari-owned club (that's PSG, just in case you were wondering) running out the winners 2-0.

Over 45,000 attended the match - almost full capacity - at Parc des Princes.

And as entertaining perhaps as events on the pitch was the chance to people-spot as the Good, the Bad and the Ugly from all walks of "celebrity" life took their places.

They included (in no particular order) singer Julien Doré, entrepreneur (yes, they do exist in France) Jacques-Antoine Granjon - the president and CEO of Vente-Privée.com, radio and TV presenter Cyril Hanouna, Olympic medal winning judoka Teddy Riner, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and OM president Vincent Labrune (not seated together obviously), , Swedish former model Helena Seger dutifully watching her partner Zlatan Ibrahimović, and many, many more.

Also out in force were those "darlings" of the press - both serious and...er less so, in recent years - French politicians.

They included Paris mayor hopefuls Anne Hildalgo (Socialist party) and her main challenger, centre-right Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (Union for a Popular Movement, UMP) candidate Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet.

Well even if neither was that interested, with just a few weeks until Parisians (and the rest of the country for that matter) go to the polls in the local elections, both women had at least to show willing.

The education minister, Vincent Peillon was also present as was the man so warmly welcomed by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel last week during a private tête-à-tête in Berlin last week, followed by a speech at the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung broadcast live on BFM TV.

Nicolas Sarkozy at the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (screenshot BFM TV)

 
Yes, the former French president, and a declared  PSG fan, Nicolas Sarkozy was at the game (accompanied by a couple of his sons) to press the flesh and flash his face while sharing a relaxed moment or two with those sat next to him.

One of whom - was...well, who do you think?

The photographs are under copyright, but before you click on this link or this one, hazard a guess at who appeared to be so "chummy" with the former president.

Hint, he has been described as "a Socialist Sarkozy".