French football wrestles with violence in stadiums as fans return

After a year of football in empty stadiums the return of supporters this season should have been a cause for celebration, but France is reeling from a series of incidents involving fans in and around Ligue 1 games.

The latest came on Wednesday when supporters invaded the pitch and flares were thrown at the game between Anger and Marseille, while stones were thrown at a bus taking Bordeaux fans to their match in Montpellier, with 16 suffering minor injuries.

These incidents come after last weekend's northern derby between Lens and Lille was overshadowed by a pitch invasion that delayed the start of the second half.

Riot police intervened when dozens of Lens supporters stormed the pitch at half-time to confront Lille fans, while both sets of supporters hurled seats at each other over a partition wall.

Lens has been ordered to play home matches behind closed doors until further notice, denying them of the crowd that usually creates one of the best atmospheres in France at the Stade Bollaert-Dellis.

Previously Nice was docked one point after the abandonment of their game against Mediterranean rivals Marseille on August 22.

Nice was also ordered to play three home games behind closed doors at the Allianz Riviera, where Marseille's Dimitri Payet was hit by a bottle thrown from the crowd and supporters streamed onto the pitch as a melee ensued involving players, staff, fans, and stewards.

The abandoned game will be replayed at a neutral ground next month, behind closed doors.

"Certain clubs managed in the past to put an end to this unacceptable hooliganism," said Jean-Michel Blanquer, France's Minister of National Education, Youth and Sports, in an interview with news channel LCI following the trouble in Anger, which led to two arrests on Thursday.

"There are people who need to be banned from stadiums in the future for this behavior.

"We need to be firm. These people are damaging the image of the sport."

The incidents certainly don't help French football as it seeks to capitalize on the arrival of Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain.

Nor does playing matches in empty stadiums, but the French league has little alternative.

Fans have been allowed back into games this season with no limits on capacity, as long as those attending can show they are either fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or have recently tested negative.

The trouble began on the opening weekend when Marseille's Valentin Rongier was hit on the head by a bottle at Montpellier, leading to a 10-minute delay.

It has all led to much soul-searching in France, and it may be that many are using the return to the charged atmospheres of football grounds to release pent-up frustrations from a year of coronavirus restrictions.

Then again, the incidents have not been replicated in neighboring countries.

Player to watch: Achraf Hakimi

The Spanish-born Morocco right-back cost 60 million euros ($70m) from Inter Milan in the summer, a fee that could soon end up looking like a bargain for a player emerging as the best in the world in his position.

Hakimi, 22, was sent on to play on the wing when Lionel Messi was controversially substituted by Mauricio Pochettino in PSG's 2-1 win over Lyon last weekend. He then started at Metz in midweek and scored twice, including a stoppage-time winner.

"He is not just a goal-scorer. He works hard at both ends of the pitch and offers us so many solutions," said Pochettino.

PSG host Montpellier on Saturday before facing Manchester City in the Champions League next Tuesday.

Key stats

7 - PSG has won their first seven games this season. Only four clubs have previously achieved such a feat in France. The last two -- Monaco in 1960 and PSG in 2018 -- both went on to win the title.

600 - Dimitri Payet's next appearance for Marseille will be the 600th of his club career. He made his senior debut for Nantes in December 2005.

Fixtures (GMT)

Saturday
Saint-Etienne v Nice (1500), Strasbourg v Lille (1700), Lyon v Lorient, Paris Saint-Germain v Montpellier (both 1900)

Sunday
Bordeaux v Rennes (1100), Brest v Metz, Reims v Nantes, Troyes v Angers (all 1300), Clermont v Monaco (1500), Marseille v Lens (1845)

Source: AFP