In Eure, the football match stopped, a complaint for racist insult filed

See my news
Follow L’Impartial

L’AS Vesly received, Sunday November 17, 2024the team reserves FC Eure Madrie Seine as part of the championship Departmental 2 in Pool B.

A few minutes after the kick-off of the second half, while the locals were leading 1-0, an incident occurred between the goalkeeper of the Gaillon club (Eure) and a spectator located at the far corner point. close. Chambed by the public, the visiting doorman responds by sticking out his tongue. Applying the rules and to calm things down, the referee penalizes the Gaillonnais player with a yellow card.

Racist insult or insult?

The matter could have stopped there and the game could have resumed. Except that the decision of the man in black did not have the desired effect.

As he returned to his goal, the goalkeeper said he heard a racist insult (“bamboula”) coming from the handrail. The Gaillonnais complained to the referee then to the staff of his club. After several discussions and consultation by telephone with their president, Samir Benadelthe FC EMS players make the decision to leave the field.

At the same time, Fabrice Mignotpresident of AS Vesly, inquires about the situation. “A crowd was created. I went to see what was happening. I was told that there had been racist comments. I didn't hesitate. The player pointed to a spectator whom I took out of the stadium,” he says.

The visitors having left the field, the match was then definitively stopped. The player quickly filed a complaint with the Gaillon gendarmerie. The file, which was transmitted to the Gisors territorial brigade, is, according to our information, currently under investigation.

“We were waiting for a strong sign”

One month after the match, the Eure District disciplinary committee met to resolve the dispute between the two clubs. The sanction falls: FC EMS loses the match 3-0 on the green carpet, will have to pay a fine of €217 and reimburse the travel expenses of the officials in committee.

A verdict that more than surprised Samir Benadel.

“We are disgusted. On the one hand, we accept the fact of having lost since we decided to leave the field. This is the regulation even if we could have had more flexibility given the context. But on the other hand, the players were waiting for a strong sign from the District which did not come.

And to support: “We took the players out to prevent things from getting out of hand. What am I going to say to my players the next time they get insulted? »

Samir Benadel also regrets the attitude of his counterparts in Vesly. “We had already had problems in 2017 with racist comments and it turned into a general fight. Obviously, they didn’t do what was necessary.”

“Not a club of racists”

For his part, Fabrice Mignot defends his club:

“We are not a club of racists. Neither on the side of our players, nor our managers, nor our spectators.”

He also wants to minimize the incident which, according to him, took a disproportionate turn. “It’s only the Gaillonnais player who says he heard racist comments. I questioned the spectator I took out and his neighbors. Everyone told me that it had been chambered and that it had been a little heavy. But in no case was there an insult and even less a racist insult,” assures Fabrice Mignot. The president of Vesly indicates that the excluded spectator, considering himself the victim of defamation, is considering filing a complaint as well.

Regarding the incident that occurred between the two clubs in 2017, “we had taken the necessary measures and the person who had uttered racist insults at the time did not come back to us”.

Pending the legal outcome of this case, the two parties are continuing their paths in the championship and will meet again in the second half of the season. In Gaillon, this time, in a spirit, hopefully, more peaceful.

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.