The match between Ajaccio and OM took place on Saturday in a climate of high tension with incidents between supporters of the two clubs before kick-off and the aggression of a journalist of France 3 after the match, noted an AFP journalist.
To discover
- Ligue 1 schedule and results
- Ligue 1 standings
Before the match counting for the 38th and last day of Ligue 1, won 1-0 by the Corsican club, about thirty Ajaccian supporters attacked Marseille fans, just arrived in the closed parking lot reserved for them at the Stade François-Coty. They hurled racist insults at them, including monkey cries. The two groups of supporters then threw projectiles, stones, batteries and fireworks at each other. The stewards of OM and the security of the Ajaccian club intervened and relative calm returned. CRS were also deployed along the Marseille parking lot and the meeting took place without notable incident.
«
These incidents are sad (...) It was brewing, there were invectives on social networks, "regretted the coach of Ajaccio Olivier Pantaloni after a match without stakes for both clubs, Ajaccio was already relegated to L2 and OM assured of finishing 3rd. "It's never nice to prevent supporters from coming but as far as possible, it can be avoided by prohibiting travel. Maybe we have to go through that," he added. At the end of the evening, the prefecture of Corse-du-Sud did not report any injuries or arrests. The emergency services still entered the Marseille parking lot to treat an OM supporter in the middle of the second period.
According to the prefecture, Marseille fans had to leave the stadium late to be taken to the fan-zone where they had been gathered during the day, on a beach near Ajaccio airport. Those who did not have accommodation had to be taken to a multipurpose room converted into a dormitory. A journalist from France 3 was attacked by Marseille fans while he was parked at a petrol station near the stadium. He was taken care of by the emergency services "for wounds to the face," said an AFP journalist. His reporting equipment was damaged.
On Friday, incidents had already opposed supporters, especially near a hotel where Marseillais were staying. Four people were lightly injured. The mayor of the city, Stéphane Sbraggia, had asked Friday night for the cancellation of the match so that the fans, most of whom were to arrive Saturday, do not "expose themselves to a risk of violence that is already present and that could take an uncontrollable scale".