In recent years French football has become the biggest source of pride for the country’s residents.
The team's victory in the 2018 World Cup and becoming one of the strongest in the world, made people walk with a taut chest and smile from ear to ear.
Simultaneously with the professional ascent, a negative ascent also began on the issue of violence on the pitches.
True, in every country one can find violence in football stadiums and difficult cases but it seems that what is happening this season in French football has already become a scourge that many factors have started to take seriously.
Brutal behavior of fans is not new in League 1. In the last decade, Bastia fans have thrown wooden poles at PSG players, Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopez was hit by a firecracker during a game against Metz and taken to hospital and a hanging doll in the form of Matthew and Levona was shown at the Velodrome by Marseille fans. At the same time, it seemed to be events based on abysmal hatred between clubs or a specific player. Every part is good.
A Marseille fan chases after Messi.
It also reaches the grass, Photo: Reuters
The opening of the 2021/22 season was supposed to be a happy occasion for the crowd that returned to the stadiums for the first time in 18 months and got one of the best players in history - Leo Messi, but the violence stole the show.
Already in the first round, the game between Montpellier and Marseille was stopped for 12 minutes after a throw-in by objects of the host fans, including a bottle that hit the face of Marseille midfielder Valentin Rongia.
The case came as a complete surprise in light of the fact that there is no hatred between the clubs.
Montpellier suffered a partial closure of the stadium when manager Olivier del D'Oglio complained: "It is an unfortunate punishment because it punishes everyone and not just the hooligans themselves."
Big commotion in the game between Nice and Marseille.
When will it end ?, Photo: Reuters
Two weeks later, Marseille returned to the headlines and by and large, in the away game against Nice.
Team star Dimitri Paella was hit by a bottle when he came to pick up a horn, the player threw the bottle back into the stands and then a riot broke out, during which Nice fans burst onto the pitch with the aim of hitting Paella and his friends.
A number of Marseille players showed after the game in the nets how they were injured in their bodies, which caused a big shock.
The violence led to a halt to the game, which took place again yesterday and this time passed quietly.
Nice suffered a two-point drop, one of which was returned, which led to harsh criticism of the lenient punishments given to the rioters.
"Must set a precedent"
Things continued in the derby between Lance and Night when team fans caused an unstoppable program that led to the closure of the stands for just one game for Lance fans.
Then in the game between Marseille and Angers the two fan teams invaded the pitch to quarrel with each other and the clash between Bordeaux and Montpellier sent 12 people to hospital.
Last weekend, the game between Saint-Etienne and Angers started an hour late after an unprecedented pyrotechnics demonstration by the locals and in the Clasico between Marseille and PSG nine policemen and 21 people were arrested. From a game in which players like Leo Messi, Neymar took part And Killian Ambape will not remember a single sporty thing.
The turmoil in the game between Saint-Etienne and Angers.
Started an hour late,
Violence in French football comes from racism, class wars, politics and more.
In a country where there are so many immigrants, there is a huge difference in cultures between cities, hatred has not raised its head from now on but it seems that the fact that there is no deterrence, makes things become more extreme.
After the shameful incident between Marseille and Nice, Lakip decided to break the rules and address the violence in a difficult article.
"The poorest are the majority who were among the 32,000 fans on the pitch, people who just wanted to spend quality time with friends and family," it was written, "a lot of them will feel betrayed, they will not return to the pitches soon and can be understood."
The riot in the game between Nice and Marseille.
A look at the social situation, Photo: Reuters
In early October, a first-of-its-kind meeting was held between French Interior Ministry officials, the Football Association and the police to discuss the situation urgently.
The meeting lasted about an hour and a half, and allowed for a dialogue to be opened between the various bodies, after which similar meetings will be held.
To move forward on the issue and discuss possible legislative developments, another meeting was held, this time in the presence of the relevant ministers.
"We must be able to improve things," said Gerard Dermanin, who called for punishing on a case-by-case basis, instead of punishing all fans, adding: "We need to set a precedent for French football."