He was part of the convoy of seven VTC drivers who were to bring Nice supporters to the Beaujoire stadium this Saturday, December 2, 2023 to attend the meeting between OGC Nice and FC Nantes. He tells his version of the facts.
The man met the day after the events, Sunday December 3, is still in shock.
David Tan is a VTC driver and he expresses his emotion.
“I sympathize with the pain of the supporters. If we lose someone before going to a match, it’s sad” he said.
And he recounts this evening which turned into a nightmare when he and other colleagues were responsible for transporting 30 customers, supporters of the Nice team.
“I was at the head of the procession and as we arrived near the Halvèque stop in Nantes, we saw a pack of 300 people arriving, dressed in black. They jumped on my vehicle to extricate the young people inside. It hit, it broke” testifies David Tan.
The pack that arrived is a swarm of bees. Yellow and green hooded.
“There were seven vehicles. Including two vans. Me, at the head of the procession, my other colleagues behind” specifies the driver.
“And the last van, when he saw all this mass, he backed away, he left. He didn’t even drop off the Nice supporters at the stadium. They took them back to their hotel because they feared for their safety quite simply“, he adds.
According to this witness, one of the drivers of the procession was injured and had to be hospitalized.
“He got into a fight with people from the Loire Brigade. Ihad a bruise on her hand and almost took a glass bottle to the head. His vehicle was requisitioned by the police. There is a camera filming everything on it. He must go to the Nantes police station when he leaves the hospital.the driver says.
It’s a hooligan horde. There are too many attacks, too much violence in our country currently linked to football. What happened in Lyon, what happened in Nantes for a man with his son who was attacked, it is no longer possible.
Incidentally, David Tan states: “There was no police supervision and no police escort while the young supporters called“.
The Nantes driver was interviewed by investigators as a witness during the evening of Saturday December 2, 2023 and he emerged free.
Auditions of Brigade Loire supporters are underway this Sunday, December 3, 2023.
One of the VTC drivers was placed in police custody after going himself to the Nantes police station
The Nantes public prosecutor is due to hold a press briefing on this case during the day of Monday, December 4.
Article written with Olivier Cailler.