“The positive side is really wanting to empower everyone” in the event of violence during football matches, explained Thursday, December 16 on franceinfo Nicolas Hourcade, sociologist, teacher at the Ecole Centrale de Lyon, specialist in football supporters, after the meeting around Gerald Darmanin Thursday morning to present solutions against violence in football stadiums. Match “permanently discontinued” in the event of an attacked player or referee, plastic bottles prohibited, protective nets that can be mobilized … The government has unveiled reinforced security measures in the face of repeated incidents.
franceinfo: What do you think of the decisions announced?
Nicolas Hourcade: There are very positive things in this meeting, such as the desire to want to coordinate all the public and sporting actors. There is no media announcement but the application of existing measures and other pragmatic and adapted ones. Emphasis was placed on individual sanctions. This is how neighboring countries were able to improve the atmosphere. The system on stopping matches seems clearer to me even if there are some unclear points, and the end of plastic bottles is good. It is a shame to have waited until the end of November, the beginning of December to deal with these subjects when there has been violence since August.
Do you think it will be easy to apply individual sanctions?
There are different types of prohibitions and some are stronger than others. There are three ways that a supporter can be banned from the stadium. Either by justice after a conviction, or preventively by the prefect, or by the club itself. The club cannot control that the supporter does not circumvent this ban. On the other hand, a judicial or administrative ban can entail an obligation to score and there the control can be very strong. This is why it is not the clubs that should be on the front line, but the police and the judiciary.
Dimitri Payet suggests that sometimes it is up to the players to decide to stop the meeting. What do you think ?
It’s very interesting that everyone feels responsible and that players can take a stand, including players from the team whose supporters have thrown projectiles. If a Marseille player is affected, the Lyonnais must show solidarity. When these situations happen again, we will know how to stop the match. The positive side is really wanting to empower everyone.
Should club leaders also be made more accountable?
Since the start of the season, we have seen a double problem. The excesses of the supporters and the fact that the matches are less well organized than before the health crisis. It is difficult to recruit competent, well-trained and well-paid stewards. The clubs being in financial difficulties, they undoubtedly under-dimensioned their safety devices on certain matches. So that the clubs are responsible for the organization of the match and the security system, it is fundamental, that they are responsible for the relationship with the supporters in the sense that we cannot constantly increase the pressure and amaze the evening that it overflows. It is also up to football players to set an example and supporters to take responsibility.