OGC Nice-OM clashes are historically conducive to excesses in the stands. Moreover, long before the clear-cut positions of ministers Amélie Oudéa-Castéra and Bruno Retailleau in favor of stopping matches in the event of homophobic chants, the Allianz Riviera had already experienced this scenario. In August 2019, Clément Turpin interrupted a Nice-OM in Ligue 1 for nine minutes due to banners (“Welcome to the Ineos group: in Nice too we like the pedal” and “LFP/Instance: full parking spaces for stadiums gays”) and homophobic chants.
The atmosphere immediately proved just as detestable on Sunday evening within the Populaire Sud ultras, for the Gym's great victory (2-0) against Olympique de Marseille. Just before kick-off, the southern Riviera deployed a particularly hostile banner against the Marseillais: “The sun is setting on the city of Nice… Let the rat hunt begin!! “.
Former Niçois Neal Maupay copiously insulted
Before doing it again a few minutes later with a pun in very bad taste, again as a banner: “Freedom for the ultrats”. And then in the second period, Populaire Sud insulted their former striker Neal Maupay, now at OM: “Maupay: you went from a child of the club to a child of f…! “. So many comments which quickly had an impact on Sunday evening in Marseille.
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The city's mayor Benoît Payan notably called out the LFP on its X account: “Racist comments are not tolerable in a stadium. I ask the LFP not to let it go.” The disciplinary committee could thus also add to the file several homophobic and insulting songs targeting Neal Maupay and Marseille (“La Bonne-Mère est une s…..”, “Marseille, Marseille, on t’en….”) which incited referee Eric Wattelier to interrupt the match in the 24th minute of play. The match resumed a few seconds later, and with it came insults from Nice supporters.
