French football is having a chaotic year
Between August and November, there were ten separate incidents of fan trouble, all of
which impacted Ligue1 games and, in some cases, have left supporters and even players injured.
But why? What’s causing this sudden rush of chaos?
Well first, a recap of the incidents themselves.
In August, missiles thrown by Montpellier fans at Marseille players
force the teams off the pitch and delay the conclusion of the game.
Two weeks later, another game involving Marseille. A bottle is thrown by Nice fans at Dimitri Payet,
who then retaliates by hurling the bottle back at the supporters. It sparks a pitch invasion,
which also involves the respective coaching staff. Payet is kicked by a fan during the melee,
and an OM fitness coach is shown on television punching a Nice supporter.
On September 18th, dozens of Lens fans invade the pitch in response
to provocation by visiting Lille supporters.
A day later, a young PSG fan is hit by debris thrown by Lyon supporters at the Parc des Princes.
September 22nd is a low point: three separate games are affected by crowd trouble.
Injuries are reported after Montpellier’s game with Bordeaux,
as the latter’s coach is damaged by stones being thrown. And, on the same night,
at both Metz against PSG and Angers vs OM, rival fans throw missiles at each other.
Exactly a month later, on the 22nd October,
a Saint-Etienne home game is delayed by fans throwing flares onto the pitch.
Two days on, Neymar’s attempts to take corners in a game between PSG and OM
are repeatedly met by missiles thrown by opposition supporters.
Most recently, in mid-November, Lyon’s game against Marseille was barely five minutes old
when Dimitri Payet was struck by a water bottle and fell to the floor.
The game was delayed, and then postponed.
In response, players have been sanctioned with bans, clubs have been issued fans and been forced
to play games in front of partially or completely empty stadiums. Banning orders
have also been given and, in the case of the supporter who kicked Dimitri Payet,
a suspended prison sentence has even been handed down. As expected, various club
presidents have also contributed inflammatory rhetoric to an already overheated situation.
But why is this happening now?
Well, a generic explanation is that having had football taken away during the pandemic,
some returning supporters have allowed the game’s return and its rivalries
to get the better of them. It’s a contributing issue, as are the deeper,
more sociological and economic effects of Covid, but there’s a containment problem too.
A bigger factor has been a stewarding shortage – or a shortage of experienced stewards.
In an article for The Athletic, Tom Williams spoke to Stephane Boudon, president of the Securite-CTFC
trade union, who explained that many stewards left the industry when the pandemic shut it down,
and having been forced to find employment elsewhere, haven’t returned.
The effect has been to create a relatively understaffed and
inexperienced workforce in stadia, which – as Boudon explains – isn’t equipped,
prepared or motivated to deal with the challenges arising.
“When incidents occur, you can’t ask someone who’s
so poorly paid and who has such a precarious (economic) status
to put themselves in harm’s way in order to keep the pitch secure” she told The Athletic.
What happens next is uncertain. In response to the rush of incidents, a taskforce has been formed,
combining government ministers and influential figures from with a range of sports,
and they are expected to announce any findings or new measures before Christmas.
Until then, French football awaits its next disruption.