The final of the Coupe de France was already announced under tension, this Saturday (9 p.m.), due to the current social climate in France and the presence at the Stade de France of Emmanuel Macron. But the discovery Friday, in the enclosure of Saint-Denis, of grids equipped with spades at the bottom of the two turns, set fire to various associations of supporters. On the north side (FC Nantes) and south (Toulouse FC), more than 20,000 fans are expected for this final, including the ultra groups. The sight of these grids, which had not been used in France since the 2016 Coupe de France final between OM and PSG (2-4), even had a particular echo in Liverpool.
“Less than a year after the horrible events that took place at the Stade de France, it’s sickening. Installing fences in a football stadium is an eyesore. Have those responsible for our security learned nothing from past tragedies? Take them off! “, Denounces the Association of Disabled Supporters of the Reds, still traumatized by the chaos suffered around the enclosure of Saint-Denis before the final of the Champions League against Real Madrid.
“A phenomenon of crushing on the barriers”
It must be said that this safety device refers to the two biggest tragedies in the history of football in Europe, with 39 deaths in Heysel (Brussels) in 1985, then 97 victims who died in Hillsborough (Sheffield) in 1989. Each time, these grids preventing spectators from taking refuge on the lawn to avoid being crushed have played a role in tragedies that have marked the Liverpool club for life.
In France, the National Association of Supporters (ANS) quickly stepped up also on Friday: “If there are serious incidents, the prefecture and the FFF will have to assume. In the event of an incident (fire, bomb, terrorist attack, etc.) preventing exit from the stand at the top, there will be a crushing phenomenon on the barriers at the bottom of the stand. The land must be an escape”.
“The Murderous Mistakes of the 1980s”
The ANS announced Friday evening that it had seized the administrative court of a request for interim relief, in order to order the removal of these controversial grids before the kick-off of this Nantes-Toulouse final. “Does it need a tragedy for France to decide one day to seriously work on the question of security in stadiums? How can France make the murderous mistakes of the 1980s in England and Belgium? “, concludes the association.
Why was this controversial device therefore chosen by the French authorities, seven years after its last use, on the occasion of a clash between two clubs with an unrivaled rivalry in France (PSG and OM )? According to L’Equipe, it was the recent invasion of the lawn of La Beaujoire, at the end of Nantes’ qualification for the half against OL (1-0), which justified the decision of Laurent Nunez, the prefect of Paris police. He would have explained on Wednesday, during a preparatory meeting for this Coupe de France final, in particular in the presence of the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin, that incidents had broken out at the bottom of the Lyon parking lot, on April 5 in Nantes.
“We can open the gates if there is a crowd crush”
A year ago, such an invasion of the field (without overflow) had also taken place at La Beaujoire in the semi-final, but not in the final against OGC Nice (1-0), despite the absence of grids at the Stade de France. The tenacious antagonism existing between the Nantes and Toulouse ultras could also have taken into account in this decision, as could therefore the period of contestation in France of the pension reform dear to President Macron.
Faced with the controversy soaring around these gates, Laurent Nunez defended his choice this Saturday on BFM TV: “We can open the gates if there is a crowd crush. The French Football Federation (FFF) and the Stade de France consortium guaranteed it. Since the serious incidents, in particular at Heysel, the barriers have evolved technically. They can be lowered in the event of major pressure”. For its part, the ANS maintains “major pressure” on the Paris police headquarters and on the FFF: “They will not be able to say that they did not know. We told them. History told them so”.