Never since the inauguration of Parc OL in Décines in January 2016 has a violent clash taken place between Lyon supporters. Regularly singled out for racist excesses, such as in Marseille in October 2023 or in Toulouse two weeks ago, the main ultra groups of OL hit the headlines again just after the last Ligue 1 match won on Sunday against FC Nantes (2-0). Around a hundred ultras from the north and south turns went to gate X, where the new group of supporters of the Six Nine Pirates (SNP, nearly 50 members), in order to fight it out.
An exchange of press releases followed from the attacked group as well as Kop Virage Nord/Bad Goneswith two different versions to determine responsibilities. One thing is certain: the situation promises to be extremely tense during the next two home matches after the international break, on October 24 against Besiktas and October 27 against Auxerre. Why has there been more talk of politicized forums in Lyon since Sunday than ever before, while the term “apolitical” is repeated over and over again by each camp?
Already because on Monday morning, six deputies from the New Popular Front (NFP) of the Rhône were the first to draw out a press release on these incidents. At the origin of this, Anaïs Belouassa-Cherifi (La France insoumise) explains to 20 Minutes having been “alerted by a fellow MP just after the match”. “I had been following for a few weeks what was happening with the excesses of Olympique Lyonnais supporters, and then there was this tragic event,” continues the Lyon elected official.
Anaïs Belouassa-Cherifi threatened by supporters
A reaction which did not go unnoticed, due to the persistent rumor of the presence of “antifas” within the Six Nine Pirates. “We want to be inclusive, cosmopolitan, open to all,” explains the new ultra group, which took place this season under one of the giant screens at Parc OL. We are anti-racist, but not “antifa” or left-wing, we do not want to bring politics back to the stadium. »
“We are surprised by the speed of communication of certain LFI deputies,” pointed out the Bad Gones on social networks on Tuesday. Some may think that the press release was probably already ready before the match. The lack of perspective of these national deputies makes us wonder about their promiscuity with these individuals. » Which Anaïs Belouassa-Cherifi prefers to joke about.
“ As they were guys from Bron, I was obviously aware before the match that there was going to be some excesses… I don’t even understand how we can imagine something like that. This shows the bad faith of some. I don’t know the people who make up this Six Nine Pirates collective. I have since received threatening messages from certain supporters calling me an Arab on duty. »
The trigger for Nazi salutes filmed during Olympico 2023
The subject is electric, and the tension has not really gone down in five days. Here, among other things, is the question of the political color of this OL Park. “There is a nationalist and patriotic reputation, and no real diversity in the groups in place,” observes Jean-Pierre, a regular in the northern bend of Lyon. We can wonder if the club did not push these young people from the neighborhood very quickly in order to give itself a good image in the media. »
The way Olympique Lyonnais operates is clear at the level of its groups: any new association must prove itself for a year without incident, before being able to be officially recognized and display its tarpaulin at the stadium. We are therefore not there yet for the Six Neuf Pirates, whose creation was sparked by the disastrous Olympico of October 29, 2023. This match, ultimately postponed, was marked both by the stone-breaking of the OL bus having injured Fabio Grosso, and by the racist behavior of part of the Lyon parking lot that evening, between imitations of monkeys and filmed Nazi salutes.
Tired of this behavior, around fifteen young people, “including some of North African origin”, partly from Lyon 1950, then decided to found their own group, which will finish the 2023-2024 season at the south bend before take place at block 439 (north-east). “They immediately presented their group as one in which everyone was welcome,” confides a specialist from the Lyon stands. It implied something and the two main groups made it clear to them that they weren’t doing things the right way. »

“A bidding war is taking place”
The two historic entities, Kop Virage Nord and Lyon 1950, accuse them of “provocations on social networks”, but also around the stadium. “When guys from your own club have fun sticking and tagging over your group, it’s disrespectful. Behind, an escalation is taking place,” points out a member of the northern turn, who sees there a clear dispute “beyond any political consideration”.
For its part, Lyon 1950, which had on the contrary Bad Gones denounced in a press release racist incidents at the time of Olympico 2023, denies having any criteria of origin, religion or vote to accept a member.
During the last OL-OM (2-3), the capo of the main group of the southern turn (2,100 members), in addition to recalling the “apolitical” dimension of Lyon 1950, also announced on the microphone that any perpetrator of racist behavior would “get busted” around the corner. Lyon 1950 has banned several members of its group in recent years, while Kop Virage Nord (6,500 people) has excluded a single member in 23 years (also banned from stadiums), after having made a Nazi salute filmed during a match of the Champions League to Manchester City in 2018.
“That families can go to the stadium”
“Racist slip-ups” remain regular among Lyon supporters, between this infamous clash in Marseille a year ago, Toulouse on September 29, and even at home three days earlier against Olympiakos. That evening, the nationalist slogan “Blue, white, red” resounded at the end of each Marseillaise launched in the west stand, where a few dozen ultras had gathered, due to a partial closed session to begin the League Europa.
“It would be good for everyone to take up this subject, including the management of OL, to ensure that there is no longer impunity on this issue of violence between supporters, racist insults, xenophobic and homophobic that can be heard in the stands. There must be a collective and inclusive vision of sport, so that families can go to the stadium in complete peace of mind, without fear of excesses,” insists Anaïs Belouassa-Cherifi, who plans to attend OL-Auxerre with the five co-signatory NFP deputies. of the press release Monday.
“I am going to ask for a meeting with the management of OL and write to the Minister of Sports on this question,” underlines this former football player. For its part, Olympique Lyonnais ensures near The Team apply “zero tolerance” towards those guilty of violence, and intends to organize a round table with all its supporter groups ahead of OL-Auxerre.
“It’s not impossible for a guy to end up on the floor”
“OL takes its responsibilities, the club is at the bedside of the victims, assures Jordan Minarya Lyon lawyer who regularly defends OL supporters. The response must above all be judicial and criminal. The procedures must succeed because we are talking about ultra-violent individuals who must be apprehended directly in the stadiums. »And this in order to avoid a more dramatic human toll than that of two members of the Six Nine Pirates injured on Sunday by stabbings.
“It was sometimes hot in the 2000s between the two turns, but there were always possible discussions between the leaders of the groups,” explains Jean-Pierre of the north turn. There, seeing how things are going, it’s not impossible that one day a guy ends up on the floor. » As at the Parc des Princes, when the death of Yann Lorence (PSG ultra accustomed to Kop Boulogne), beaten up by around thirty members of the Auteuil stand in 2010, led to the implementation of the famous Leproux plan.
“No one has to gain from it getting even worse,” adds another regular at Lyon’s corners. The only outcome that I see is that the Rhône prefecture summons the presidents of Bad Gones, Lyon 1950 and Six Neuf Pirates, announcing to them that in the next big incident, the group responsible will be dissolved. This pressure must come from the prefecture rather than the club to have more impact. »
A Lyon elected official supports Bad Gones on X
Another elected official from Lyon wanted to take a position on the subject. First deputy mayor LR of the 2nd arrondissement, Jean-Stéphane Chaillet gave his support to the Bad Gones on Tuesday on his account. “The policy that some are trying to bring into the stadium has no place,” specifies the deputy delegate for Security, Sport and Solidarity, who did not wish to say more to 20 Minutes.
“His reaction is unwelcome,” replies Anaïs Belouassa-Cherifi, who feels targeted by this message from Jean-Stéphane Chaillet. Sport is political. We condemn the violence at the stadium and the fact that everyone can no longer go there. My position is that Olympique Lyonnais belongs to everyone. However, a sort of segregation is currently taking place in Lyon. » With also the risk of losing many enthusiasts.
Our file on OL
“Each time there are such incidents, it is a traumatic episode in the psychological construction of a person,” indicates Jordan Minary. Several supporters confide to me that they will never return to the stadium after having suffered these events which regularly shake up OL news. » It is not certain that Pierre Sage’s choice to opt for a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 is the main question surrounding the next meeting at Parc OL, on October 24 against Besiktas.