Violent clashes broke out on Sunday between OL supporters, after the victory (2-0) against Nantes in Ligue 1. An emerging antagonism between a new ultra group and the history of the north and south turns caused this incident.
Faced with violence from its stands, Olympique Lyonnais helplessly witnessed violent clashes between supporters of its team on Sunday, just after the victory (2-0) of Pierre Sage’s men against FC Nantes. The new group of ultra supporters of the Six-Neuf Pirates, notably bringing together former members of the historic kops, was attacked from all sides as it left its block, located under one of the giant screens of the Groupama Stadium.
This small group of around fifty members, created in reaction to the incidents that occurred at the Vélodrome on October 29, 2023 where several Lyon ultras were guilty of racist insults and Nazi salutes, was created at the end of last season. If the behavior of its members has been impeccable until now, their presence in the stands has been little tolerated since the start of the season by the main Lyon ultra groups (Bad Gones located in the north bend and Lyon 1950 based in the south bend ), some of whose members flirt with the ultra-right.
“Piranhas attacking their prey”
A steward interviewed by the daily L’Equipe testified to what he saw and what he had sensed from his position, feeling the tension skyrocket as the final whistle approached. Several dozen people came to gather ten minutes before the end of regulation time. Then other groups gathered in the same place, all aiming for one goal: confrontation. Alerted to the danger, the SNP still went down, defying the warnings of the stewards. Inevitably, the fight broke out.
“As soon as the SNP arrived downstairs, it suddenly looked like an anthill,” the steward told our colleagues. “Piranhas attacking their prey, more than a hundred of them fell on them. My colleague immediately alerted by shouting “the Pirates are being attacked!” During the fight, I also saw a Pirate using a soda to get out of five guys, but they really picked it up… Apart from the match against Besiktas in 2017 which I attended, it had been a long time since I had seen such violence.”
The troublemakers were dispersed by tear gas fire. Weapons, including knives, were found at the scene of the confrontation, two lightly injured people were treated. One of them was stabbed. “These events are unworthy of our coat of arms”, wrote on X the general director of Olympique Lyonnais Laurent Prud’homme, condemning “very firmly” these “clashes and attacks”. The Six-Nine Pirates (SNP) demanded from the club “a firm reaction” against “any form of discrimination or violence”. In a press release, the Bad Gones demanded the same intransigence towards the SNP, accused of having aggravated the situation.
