The National Association of Supporters warns of the deterioration of travel conditions

The National Supporters Association (ANS), which represents groups of fans from around 30 football clubs, sounded the alarm on Wednesday about the travel conditions of its members. The General Assembly of the ANS, meeting at the end of March, thus expressed in a press release its “deep concern vis-à-vis the constant deterioration of the conditions of reception and supervision of supporters in France since the reopening stands at the start of the season.

“It is above all a feeling of weariness that dominates, as the multiplication of travel restrictions since the start of 2021/22 brings us back in all respects to the 2015/16 season, marked by the resurgence of the terrorist risk and the procrastination of the powers public in the preparation of Euro-2016″, she continued.

The association regrets the end of the dialogue with the authorities

The ANS cites in particular “the abandonment of dialogue” with the government or the National Division for the Fight against Hooliganism (DNLH), within the National Support Authority (INS), created in 2016 with the aim of exchange the different parts, the last plenary session of which dates back to December 2, 2021.

“We would like to take up everything that was done before the pandemic, at the level of the INS and with the DNLH, as well as put the Nunez circular back at the center of the attention of the prefectures. [lancée en 2019 pour mieux anticiper les déplacements des supporters des équipes visiteuses] “, detailed the spokesman of the ANS, Kilian Valentin.

A season full of violence in the stands and on the pitch

Due to the spread of the coronavirus, a very large part of the 2020/2021 season was played behind closed doors and this sudden change put the dialogue that was in place on hold. The member groups of the ANS plan to mobilize in the stands over the coming weekends to contest “the absence of the DNLH” from the discussions, and the collective sanctions taken by the Disciplinary Committee of the League (LFP) “more more abusive and which do not solve the problem”, according to Mr. Valentin.

Since mid-March, stand closures, firm or suspended, have been pronounced, in Ligue 1, against Marseille, Nantes, Bordeaux and Nice. The start of the season was marred by several incidents in the stands, particularly during Nice-Marseille and Lyon-Marseille, with players hit by projectiles thrown by spectators. What is unfortunate is that these recriminations from the ANS come even though, before the pandemic, specialists in the issue of supporterism were welcoming a change in doctrine from France, which finally seemed to be done with the policy at all repressive. One step forward, two steps back, is that what they say?


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