Appropriately dominating the rotonde Napoleon in Lille's Musée des Beaux-Arts stands a bronze statue of Corsica's most famous son. Henri Lemaire's ornate piece portrays the former lord in his imperial raiment. A fitting symbol perhaps for Chelsea fans visiting the northern French city for Wednesday night's last-16 second leg Champions League tie against Lille.
Sceptre in his right hand, Napoleon's pose is noble. At his feet lie sugar beet and flax - products that boomed in the region around Lille during his reign.
Looking at the statue, Mick Daley deadpans: "The king is dead. Long live the king."
A Chelsea supporter for 50 years, the 61-year-old construction manager travelled from north-eastern England with fellow fans Mal Dobson, 62, and Rob Bell, 60.
"The club will always be there," he told RFI philosophically, despite the fact that Chelsea's billionaire Russian owner Roman Abramovich has been consigned to history.
On 10 March, the British government froze Abramovich's assets in Britain as part of financial sanctions against Russian businessmen with links to the country's president Vladimir Putin.
An array of conditions was placed on Chelsea including how much money could be spent on travel to away games as well as ticket sales.
Conflict
Since Putin ordered Russian troops into neighbouring Ukraine on 24 February, there had been fears of retribution.
Just before the League Cup final on 26 February, Abramovich tried to put Chelsea under the control of the club's charitable foundation.
When that move ran into trouble, the 55-year-old, who has consistently denied close ties to Putin, put the club up for sale.
A fortnight on from that decision, Chelsea continue their defence of the Champions League.
Haul
Pointing to his mates, Daley adds: "During our lifetime we've seen it all. We nearly went down to the third division and Ken Bates saved the club back in the 80s.
"Abramovich took over from him and now it's time for someone else to come in."
Abramovich's billions changed Chelsea.
Before he arrived in 2003, Chelsea had won only one top flight title in the 98 years since it was established.
Under his aegis, five Premier League crowns have been acquired. Along with two Champions League titles and a Club World Cup, they form the cornerstone of a 21-trophy haul.
"Taking on Chelsea will be a big undertaking," adds Dobson. "It will mean putting money in and - like Abramovich - not taking money out. The redevelopment of the ground needs to be addressed too."
Sobering thoughts indeed from a few fans while others - less than a kilometre away - manned an alcohol-fuelled bridgehead outside the Trois Brasseurs bistrot just in front of Lille Flandres train station.
They threw sticks of celery into the air - a Chelsea custom - and sang songs decrying the government of Boris Johnson as well as odes to the wonderfulness of Chelsea coach "Super Tommy Tuchel" and his "Champions of the world" as police and locals gathered for the free spectacle.
Clash
Chelsea's players go into the tie at Stade Pierre Mauroy nursing a 2-0 lead from the first leg at Stamford Bridge on 22 February.
Lille boss Jocelyn Gourvennec said he did not expect the Chelsea squad to be affected by the uncertainty hanging over the club.
Tuchel, promised that the off-field meltdown will not be an excuse for poor performances.
"We must focus on what we can influence," said Super Tommy.
"As long as we have shirts and as long as we are a team, we will be competitive and we will fight for our success."
Music to the ears of the veteran troika strolling around the Beaux-Arts.
"The owner has been sanctioned and vilified," Daley concludes.
"But we're European champions and since then have won the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup. They can't take that away from us."
Dobson and Bell nod in agreement.
And then plunging back more than 40 years into their collective memory when their team was struggling in the English second division, Daley beams: "When you lose 6-0 away to Rotherham and then 4-0 at home to them and nearly go down to the third division ... the only way is up."
