Is violence more present in and around French stadiums?
The phenomenon is complex to analyze, but several episodes have already taken place on the sidelines of certain football matches since the start of the season.
Among other things, we can cite the violence between Marseillais and Auxerrois at the beginning of September, the clashes between German supporters in Cologne and those of OGC Nice a few days later or more recently between ultras from Brest and Lorient.
In an article published today, Le Figaro mentions the number of 211 supporters arrested by the police for acts of violence during matches since August.
In detail, 148 of these arrests took place in the context of Ligue 1 or Ligue 2 championship matches and 63 during European competitions on French territory.
In total, it's nearly 100 more arrests than last season at the same time (113).
The first months of the 2021-2022 financial year had indeed been marked by numerous incidents in the stands of Ligue 1 stadiums, from the throwing of pyrotechnic devices to the invasion of the lawn, including fights.
Younger and more violent supporters
“We are witnessing a rise in power of the phenomenon in France, as in all the rest of Europe, explains Commissioner Thibaut Delaunay, head of the National Division for the Fight against Hooliganism (DNLH).
After the cessation of competitions linked to the Covid-19 health crisis, then during matches behind closed doors or at low gauges in the stands during the 2020-2021 season, we had picked up the first signs of annoyance among private supporters. of trips.
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According to the boss of the DNLH, this upsurge is due to a lack of security guards during the meetings, the shortage being explained by recruitment difficulties.
In the columns of the daily, he also highlights a "decline in vigilance" on the part of the public authorities linked to the pandemic while a change in the composition of the supporters was at work.
"Some, including old ones, did not return to the stadium when it resumed and new recruits, younger and more radicalized, tried to take power," he explains.
A distinction between ultras and hooligans
The National Division for the Fight against Hooliganism draws a distinction, more and more fine, between the ultras "who defend the colors of their team, willingly playing the punch on occasion"
on the one hand and hooligans "who only seek violence" and maintain a closeness with the ultra-right on the other hand.
"While the 'ultras', which include ultra-left activists, are fueled by beer, the toughest hooligans do weight training in the gym and prefer to take cocaine or amphetamines before engaging in 'fights'. " in good standing.
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Amateur football is no exception to the phenomenon and several episodes of violence are regularly recorded each weekend across France.
Ten years ago, a report by the National Observatory of Delinquency and Criminal Responses, which ceased to exist in 2020, mentioned more than 5,400 attacks on referees in one year.