This Thursday, December 23, the French Football Federation announced that the meeting of 1/16 finals of the Coupe de France between AS Vitré (N2) and FC Nantes (Ligue 1) was finally going to be played at the Beaujoire stadium, in Nantes. The risks of clash between some ultras from Stade Rennais and Nantes are too great according to the Federation. Breton supporters are disappointed when the rules normally require that the smallest club accommodates the “big one”.
The president of the supporters hoped for “an atmosphere of fire”
“For me, it’s a very big disappointment, our great pleasure was to play at Vitré“regrets Patrick Perrier, the president of the supporters’ club of AS Vitré”we are going to play in Nantes in an empty stadium! In Vitré with 3,000 people there is an atmosphere of fire while in Nantes, even if there are 5,000 people, we will end up in a completely empty stadium!”
“For our players, this is the game of their life”
This decision motivated by the risk of confrontation between “ultras” from Rennes and Nantes is understandable “it is justified, there could be overflows“and Patrick does not understand the attitude of these ultras:”a supporter it must be a supporter, it must not be a hooligan who comes to screw up the hell […] we go to the stadium to have fun“continues the one who has chaired the supporters’ club for at least 20 years”I hope that at the national level there will be big sanctions that will be taken“with regard to those”who make a mess all over the place“.
“There we have the impression that we are neglecting the little ones when it’s really a party. For the big guys like Nantes, it’s a more than ordinary game while for our players, it’s the game of their life. “
“The feat” would have been possible in Vitré according to Patrick Perrier
“We would have started to decorate the city everywhere, but there will not be the same enthusiasm“predicts Patrick, who had already planned to order the necessary stock to ensure the substantial refreshment area during the meeting.
“We didn’t have a lot of chances of winning, but we could have created the feat at Vitré while at Beaujoire … we can’t believe it very much.“
AS Vitré appealed against this decision.