Wednesday October 23, 2024, after the National match between FC Rouen and FC Sochaux, Sochaux supporters were attacked by FC Rouen ultras. After a few exchanges of blows, the police dispersed the belligerents.
Company
From daily life to major issues, discover the subjects that make up local society, such as justice, education, health and family.
France Télévisions uses your email address to send you the “Society” newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link at the bottom of this newsletter. Our privacy policy
“We saw them arrive running, hooded, armed with iron bars and firework launchers“. The words of a witness present at the Robert Diochon stadium in Rouen (Seine-Maritime) this October 23, 2024, during the reception by FC Rouen of FC Sochaux (0-0, 10th day of National).
A meeting far from ordinary. Beyond the sporting issues, the match carried with it a heavy historical context, causing security issues. In fact, two days before the match, the Seine-Maritime prefecture published a decree to regulate the match in view of “of a historic antagonism between the supporters of FC Rouen and FC Sochaux” she explained.
► ALSO READ: Football. “A historic antagonism between the supporters of FC Rouen and FC Sochaux”: the prefecture supervises Wednesday’s meeting
Only around a hundred people were therefore authorized to support the FCSM on site, with a ban on coming by bus, and under good police escort.
Were the authorities' fears justified? During the match, despite some insulting chants between supporters, “no abnormal tension was felt” explains a spectator present in the enclosure, who wished to remain anonymous. “The sixty Sochaliens arrived under police escort, and there was also stadium security“.
It was after the final whistle that things took a turn for the worse. While on the pitch, the match ended in a sad 0-0 which probably did not excite the crowds, “we saw the Rouen ultras leave their stands five minutes before the end” recalls another spectator. “As if there was something planned for the release“.
The match ended in a sad 0-0.
•
© DAMIEN DESLANDES / MAXPPP
It was around 9:30 p.m., while FCSM supporters were leaving their stands to get back into their vehicle to leave the stadium, that an incident occurred. “They were about to leave, when we saw a fury of hooded ultras from Rouen, furious madmen armed with iron bars and fireworks launchers.” says a witness to the scene. “There were several dozen of them and they escaped the security of the stadium, we don't know how“.
Seeing them arrive, the Sochaux ultras got out of their mini bus to confront them and they started punching each other through a fence.
A witness present on site
The Sochaliens parking lot, where their players' bus was also present, was in fact separated from the rest of the stadium by a fine iron fence. “The fence was going to give way from being shaken” continues a spectator. “But the police quickly intervened to disperse all this, using large bursts of tear gas.“.
The management and players of FC Sochaux, some of whom, while cleaning up at the side of the pitch, witnessed the entire scene, then went to meet their supporters to see if everything was going well. According to our information, more fear than harm: although some spectators were shocked or caught in the tear gas, no injuries were reported.
In a video published by the X Nationalzone account, which covers the news of the National championship, we see an exterior part of the Diochon stadium under large clouds of tear gas.
David Lamiray, the vice-president of the Rouen Normandy Metropolis in charge of sports, present at the stadium, condemned “X”with the greatest firmness the attack on Sochaux supporters by a few individuals“.
Contacted by our colleagues from France 3 Normandy, the DIPN, interdepartmental management of the national police, confirmed this morning of October 24 this altercation between Sochaux and Rouen supporters. She mentions incidents which took place around 9:40 p.m.
According to the DIPN, the Sochaux supporters did not immediately get back into their vehicles when the Rouennais returned to theirs. Invectives would have been uttered. The ultra Rouennais would then have entered the Sochaux supporters' stand. Projectiles would then have flown. The Sochaliens' minibuses were then escorted to the exit of Rouen to leave in the direction of France-Comté.
