return on ten days of passes of arms and investigation before the decision of the disciplinary committee

These are scenes that French football has gotten used to experiencing in recent months. On Monday, December 27, the FFF’s disciplinary committee will deliver its verdict on the violence in the stands during the 32nd finals of the Coupe de France between Paris FC and Olympique Lyonnais, on Friday, December 17.

Representatives of the two clubs will be heard on Monday, ten days after the incidents. We take a look back at this period during which each camp blamed the other, while the instruction of the federation and the judicial investigation advanced behind the scenes.

Violence broke out between supporters at half-time, the match was interrupted

The incidents at Charléty broke out at half-time, when the score was 1-1. Supporters launch smoke bombs from the Lyon parking lot, which sets off several fights. Some leave the stand to escape the excesses, and take refuge on the athletics track that borders the stadium, in a large crowd movement. The police intervene to try to restore calm.

The Paris FC / OL match is definitively stopped following incidents in the stands during half-time #PFCOL

– Coupe de France (@coupedefrance) December 17, 2021

But as the players returned to the pitch, a new crowd movement triggered the invasion of the field. The 22 actors are immediately escorted back to the locker room, in complete confusion. The kick-off of the second half was initially delayed, then after about fifty minutes of waiting, it was decided not to resume the match.

The two presidents step up to the plate

Almost immediately, the presidents of the two clubs make their voices heard in defense of theirs. Jean-Michel Aulas is the first to draw in front of the media on the night of the match. “I believe that the responsibilities are shared. It is not all to blame our supporters”, explains the president of the Rhone club. “600 supporters in a stadium which is not well configured, it can give this kind of outburst. It was enough for the break that people come to the Lyon parking lot and that caused that”, he continues. He nevertheless assures that the club “will take extremely severe measures against all people who are going to be identified.”

Pierre Ferracci, president of the Paris Football Club after the violence during the Paris FC-OL match: “We will not give gifts to the alleged Parisian supporters who are not from Paris FC (…) The club has responsibilities from Lyon. ” # le79inter pic.twitter.com/2SHHG6ks8I

– France Inter (@franceinter) December 22, 2021

The president of Paris FC Pierre Ferracci responds instantly to the microphone of RMC, and disputes the version of his counterpart. “He there is a bunch of morons who ruined everything, and it’s the Lyon supporters “, he blurted out. “I suppose that OL have already prepared a version to sleep standing up as they know how to do. (…) Aulas will have to calm his fanatics”. He reiterates his attacks five days later on France Inter: “These supporters should never have left Lyon, they should never have left the Gare de Lyon, they should never have left the visitor park which is the responsibility of the visiting club.”