smoke bombs, a hot topic and exorbitant penalties

“That’s the price of a nice house“, smiles yellow an employee of FC Nantes in his office in Jonelière. Last season, the Professional Football League and the French Football Federation condemned the Canaries to pay the trifle of 350,000 euros fine for the use of smoke bombs. The bill rises to half a million euros if we also take into account the start of the current season. With closings of stands and car parks galore, like this Sunday afternoon at Roazhon Park, and authorities kicking in on this subject that burns their fingers. Decryption.

“It’s a losing battle”

The image of Nantes supporters igniting the visitor sector of the Europa-Park Stadion, in Fribourg, has been around social networks and the media [voir photo ci dessous, ndlr]. Dozens of cracked smoke bombs, an ultra-photogenic spectacle, a memorable atmosphere and a fine that already promises to be very steep for the winner of the Coupe de France. “It’s a losing fightloose Olivier Feneteau, safety and security director of the club for six years. No club currently has succeeded in preventing the introduction of pyrotechnic devices in his stadium or outside.”

A collective sanction is to bulldoze rather than ask the question of sanctioning appropriately.

He points to legislation that does not give clubs the means to prevent the introduction of these pyrotechnic devices. “It’s a little weird because we’re condemned for something we didn’t do.he points out. But the Council of State considered that we had an obligation of result and that it was a breach of security to let machines enter the stadium.“We call it a sea serpent. About a thousand euros per smoke grenade counted and a severity, even an obstinacy, that the League fully assumes. “The Disciplinary Committee is sovereign to determine the sanction and in particular whether to impose a fine.replies the LFP to France Bleu Loire Océan. And if so, it also decides its firm amount or possibly accompanied by the stay.“Ditto for the closing of stands.

Experiments but a strict framework that does not appeal to supporters

Systematically represented during disciplinary committees, clubs like Nantes try to prove their good faith by arguing that they have, here and there, intercepted a smoke bomb or identified and filed a complaint against people in possession of pyrotechnic devices. Despite everything, the sanctions are recurrent. “They are largely archaic”, even assures Ronan Evain about the closing of stands in stadiums. “With this type of sanctions, you punish thousands of people for the actions of a minoritydeciphers the director general of the association Football Supporters Europe
. This poses a problem of legitimacy, of efficiency. A collective sanction is to bulldoze rather than ask the question of sanctioning in an appropriate and educational way.

It’s part of the culture of ultra groups to use smoke in a wild way.

In the top four of the most sanctioned French clubs since 2021, according to our information, FC Nantes has notably had to deal with a Loire stand emptied of its supporters during the last two receptions in the league
, last season. Without parking in Monaco and during the Breton derby. And will have to play a meeting behind closed doors in the Coupe de France
. However, and in the absence of a revolution, improvements are gradually beginning to take place. “For the second consecutive season, the Instance Nationale du Supporteurisme is providing clubs with a file allowing clubs to co-construct, with their groups of supporters and their local authorities, experiments with pyrotechnic animations in a predetermined, supervised and secure framework.“, detail the lawyers of the League.

Is a change of mentality possible?

Since August, three Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs have benefited from this open door to a little more flexibility
– 12, last season. It is still necessary that the prefectures be inclined to authorize this type of animation. “It’s not the silver bulletsweeps Ronan Evain. Only a part of the supporters is interested in this approach. It’s part of the culture of ultra groups to use smoke in a wild way.” This is also the opinion of the director of safety and security of the Canaries. “I understand the fansbreathes Olivier Feneteau. The cracks at the bottom of the stands, it’s not really festive and it does not correspond to an animation such as we are used to seeing.“In a report commissioned by the LFP, the criminologist Alain Bauer had proposed a transfer of responsibility to the associations of supporters in pyrotechnic animation. A false good idea for Ronan Evain who underlines that there are not only members associations that crack in the stands.

It would at least push the clubs to do their job as best as possible.

And if, finally, the solution came from Sweden. The general manager of Fans Europe, also a fervent supporter of FC Nantes, offers to move from a logic of obligation of results for clubs to an obligation of means. “This would mean that clubs who do everything in their power to organize matches in an optimal way would not be sanctionedhe hopes. Even if there are still smoke bombs. It would at least push the clubs to do their job as best as possible.“And failing to completely authorize the use of pyrotechnic devices in stadiums, this cultural shift would at least put an end to the recurring controversies on this oh so burning subject.