A few months after the throwing of a firecracker on the pitch of the match between Montpellier and Clermont, on October 8, 2023, the alleged perpetrator as well as his accomplice found themselves before the Montpellier criminal court this Thursday, May 2, 2024. This incident had caused there suspension of the match while Michel der Zakarian’s team led 4-2 on the Mosson pitch.
The thrower, a 24-year-old man, will be tried for “violence involving the use or threat of a weapon”. The accomplice, a 22-year-old man, is being prosecuted for “possession of a rocket or fireworks in a sports venue during a sporting event”. Since this incident, both men had been placed under judicial supervision.
Story of a nightmarish evening
It was in the 91st minute of play that the projectile, launched by the individual present in the Etang-de-Thau stand, exploded near the Clermont goalkeeper, Mory Diaw. Stunned, he was subsequently evacuated on a stretcher. The match referee decided to permanently suspend the match.
A few days later, the French football Disciplinary Commission decided to replay the match in full. The MHSC was also sanctioned with the withdrawal of one point in the general classification as well as the partial closure of the Étang de Thau stand during two matches.
This “firecracker affair” marks above all the end of the good series of Montpellier who could have found themselves 6th in the general classification in the event of victory that evening. Since that date, the MHSC has had a string of poor results and is ending the season with immense regrets.
