The end of 2024 is approaching, the time to take stock of the management of supporters in the stands of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. Since the start of the 2024/2025 season, the authorities have issued more than 90 orders supervising fan travel. Supporters of Saint-Etienne and PSG are particularly targeted by these measures. These orders allow a small group of supporters to travel with a police escort.
In the area of travel bans, more than 30 orders have been published since the start of the season. In less than six months, the authorities beat the record for the entire 2022/2023 season. And these measures are starting to weigh on the morale of supporters. Sunday morning, just before the Coupe de France match between Saint-Etienne and Marseille, more than 250 Marseille supporters arrived near the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium. They wanted to attend the Coupe de France match… but also to send a message to the authorities.
Banned from traveling for this meeting, they displayed a huge banner near the stadium with the message: “Stop the bans”. After several minutes of hesitation, the authorities noted the identities and escorted the small group to the highway in order to reach Marseille. OM fans are not isolated in this fight, several supporters' associations continue to display banners every weekend to protest against these measures.
Concern if Retailleau remains inside
In the coming weeks, if Bruno Retailleau remains in place at the Ministry of the Interior, supporter groups will begin to monitor the minister's announcements for the French stands. The latter wishes to dissolve several supporters' associations in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. For several days, the legal services of the Ministry of the Interior have been carrying out a fairly broad reflection on the groups of supporters which could be eligible for dissolution after a series of excesses in the stands but also outside the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 enclosures.
Nine groups are being studied very closely, such as the Loire Brigade in Nantes as well as certain associations (or de facto groups) which have recently agitated football matches. The implementation of these measures at the start of 2025 could make the stands buzz.
France
