French football wrestling with stadium violence issues

Paris – After a year of football in empty stadiums the return of supporters this season should have been a cause for celebration, but France is reeling from a series of incidents involving fans in and around Ligue 1 games.

The latest came on Wednesday when supporters invaded the pitch and flares were thrown at the game between Angers and Marseille, while stones were thrown at a bus taking Bordeaux fans to their match in Montpellier, with 16 suffering minor injuries.

These incidents come after last weekend’s northern derby between Lens and Lille was overshadowed by a pitch invasion that delayed the start of the second half.

Riot police intervened when dozens of Lens supporters stormed the pitch at half-time to confront Lille fans, while both sets of supporters hurled seats at each other over a partition wall.

Lens have been ordered to play home matches behind closed doors until further notice, denying them of the crowd that usually creates one of the best atmospheres in France at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

Previously Nice were docked one point after the abandonment of their game against Mediterranean rivals Marseille on 22 August.

The incidents certainly don’t help French football as it seeks to capitalise on the arrival of

Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain.

Achraf Hakimi (left), the Spanish-born Morocco rightback cost €60 million from Inter Milan in the summer, a fee that could soon end up looking like a bargain for a player emerging as the best in the world in his position.

Hakimi, 22, was sent on to play on the wing when Lionel Messi was controversially substituted by Mauricio Pochettino in PSG’s 2-1 win over Lyon last weekend.

He then started at Metz in midweek and scored twice, including a stoppage-time winner.

“He is not just a goal-scorer,” said Pochettino.

“He works hard at both ends of the pitch and offers us so many solutions.”

PSG host Montpellier today before facing Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday. –