The context is explosive, between the tension linked to the international context of the war between Israel and Gaza and the recent events on the sidelines of the Maccabi Tel-Aviv match in Amsterdam, the France team will face the Israel team as part of of the League of Nations, this Thursday, under reinforced protection. These events highlight the violence on the sidelines of football matches which is intensifying, including in Alsace. At least three matches were disrupted by tensions or insults on the weekend of November 9 and 10.
Racist and anti-Semitic insults
The information was widely disseminated by posts from all the teams concerned on Facebook. After a trip to Wittersheim, SR Hœnheim wrote for example on Monday: “We wish a good recovery to our player Timothé, who was seriously injured in the head by the throwing of a beer bottle on the forehead by a “supporter” of the local club“. The US Wittersheim for its part condemned the violence, but also incriminated the Hoenheim players, while speaking of a “scuffle” which would have turned into a “pugilism”.
The opposition is strongly marked online between Inter Meinau and US Dachstein too, who played a meeting this weekend in Dachstein. “We had players who complained to the referee about racist insults” explains Hamza Bensiali is the president of Inter Meinau. A version contested by US Darchtein, the opponent club. Erol Yildrim, its president, speaks of attacks on his players and anti-Semitic insults on the part of the Inter Meinau: “Two of our players were victims of spitting, intimidation, insults“.
Peaceful conflict resolution
There was also a report established following the match between SC Roppenheim and FCE Reichshoffen: Reichshoffenois players suffered racist insults which caused the match to be stopped, after a purple card from the referee. “We faced insulting and racist comments that I will not mention“, says Kaan Ocak, the vice-president of the club, “This was reported to the referee several times who then stopped the match. We then spoke in the locker room and the Roppenheim club apologized. We must be able to play, lose or win with respect“.
“People no longer talk to each other”, regrets the District of Alsace
This violence is closely followed by the number two in the Alsace district, Marc Hoog: “We have reported them to the disciplinary committee which will convene all the stakeholders. We will listen to them and based on this, we will form an opinion on the responsibility of each party.“.
“The heart of the problem is that people don’t talk to each other anymore, so we’re going to make sure they learn how to do it again.“, he adds, “next week, we will have a meeting with clubs to raise the subject, to find a solution because today we cannot allow young people to come to a football field with fear in their stomachs, that other people are insulted from both sides and the referees are constantly under pressure“.
