“There are really fed up with our sport being smeared in this way.” The Minister of Sports and the Olympic Games, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, reacted strongly after the clashes at the Allianz Riviera in Nice (Alpes-Maritimes), Thursday, September 8, on the sidelines of the Europa League Conference match against Cologne. Thirty-two people were injured and among them, a supporter was placed in “absolute emergency” after falling five meters between two levels of a stand. His vital prognosis is no longer engaged. “He is a Frenchman, a Parisian supporter who was in the German ranks”, said Thursday Benoît Hubert, the chief of staff of the prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes. The prefect of the department, Bernard Gonzales, confirmed this to France Bleu Azur on Friday.
the @ prefect06 confirm on @francebleuazur and @F3cotedazur that Parisian supporters were among the German supporters for the match #OGCNKOE pic.twitter.com/i4Kc7l653b
— France Bleu Azur (@francebleuazur) September 9, 2022
The presence of Parisian supporters of the ultra group “Supras Auteuil” was noted Thursday in the stadium, since their tarpaulin was clearly visible next to those of the German supporters. On some videos visible on social networks, we see a man wearing a balaclava in the colors of PSG (blue, white and red) fall into the void.
08.09.2022, Nice vs Köln https://t.co/Fjy3xrlEmQ pic.twitter.com/1lVd8VK6Zq
— Hooligans.cz Official (@hooliganscz1999) September 8, 2022
What were these Parisian supporters doing in the bays of the Allianz Riviera for a match that did not concern PSG? Their presence may seem all the more surprising since the group of “Supras Auteuil 91″ has no official existence since its dissolution by a decree of April 28, 2010. The decision followed the death of a Parisian supporter from the Boulogne stand, beaten up by ultras from the Auteuil stand, before the PSG-OM meeting on February 28, 2010 at the Parc des Princes.
“The Supras Auteuil are, since 2003, friends with the Wilde Horde, the ultras group of FC Cologne”, explains to franceinfo Michel *, a former ultra from the Auteuil corner of the Parc des Princes. A proximity confirmed on his Facebook account by Sébastien Louis, author of the book Ultras, the other protagonists of football (ed. Mare & Martin, 2017).
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In an interview with the turns.paris site, Selim, a former president of Supras Auteuil 91, justifies this friendship: “FC Cologne is a club that is the total opposite of the money and communication project of PSG QSI version. It is a club rooted with a superb tradition and history even if they do not have the team they deserve. to have, like us in Paris for almost fifteen years. Cologne is one of the largest German cities, with a real local cultural identity, a dialect, the Kölsch, a very rich folklore and above all a whole city absolutely crazy about his club. The Wilde Horde supported us in the most difficult times, were always present at our side.”
“Since 2010, the oldest of this group of Ultras have taken to traveling with the Wilde Horde, adds Michael. Their presence at the Allianz Riviera was therefore quite predictable for the authorities, especially when we know the antagonisms between Nice and Parisian supporters. But, even without this antagonism, the Supras would have made the trip.”
For the time being, it is impossible to know the role of Parisian supporters in the events that took place in the stands. The investigations opened by the Nice judicial court for degradation in meetings on the official store of the Nice club, violence in meetings around the stadium and violence in meetings inside may shed light on the implications of the different groups. of supporters.
For its part, PSG dissociated itself from the actions of these supporters and condemned “with the greatest firmness the violence committed during the meeting between OGC Nice and FC Cologne”. The Parisian club stresses that the members of the Supras Auteuil group “are not recognized as supporters of PSG and are prohibited from entering the Parc des Princes” and said to study “the follow-up to be given to the damage caused to its reputation by the actions of the latter”.
* The first name has been changed.