The mayor of Nice has called not to associate OGC Nice supporters with “a violent minority” after the violent clashes in Paris, on the eve of a high-tension match between OGC Nice and RC Lens.
A few hours before the Coupe de France final between OGC Nice and RC Lens, Nice mayor, Éric Ciotti (UDR), reacted on Friday morning to the violent clashes involving OGC Nice supporters in Paris on Thursday evening, the eve of the match. “Nothing can justify such outbursts, which tarnish the image of football,” he condemned.
“I also want to clarify that the individuals involved in these acts of violence are not the supporters from Nice accompanied and supervised by the City of Nice and the club for the trip to Paris,” he insisted as the clashes occurred around 11:30 pm in the 10th arrondissement of Paris, near a bar in the Canal Saint-Martin, leaving six injured, one in serious condition.
Call for calm
Paris mayor, Emmanuel Grégoire (PS), mentioned on Friday a “hundred OGC Nice supporters, some of whom display a proximity to the far right” after the Paris police department announced the arrest and detention of 65 people for “participation in a group intending to commit violent acts.” The authorities also seized several bladed weapons, hoods, and protective gloves. They “must not be associated with a violent minority that only comes to fight and provoke confrontations,” refutes Éric Ciotti regarding the Nice supporters.
“The vast majority (…) are passionate, responsible, and committed to the values of sport,” defends the mayor in his statement by specifying that “for several days, an important coordination and organization work has been carried out, in collaboration with the competent authorities.” Before calling for “calm, responsibility, and the spirit of celebration for everyone” both in “Nice and Paris.”
The match between the two teams will be closely monitored and supervised by a significant police presence. Several hundred Lens supporters are expected on Friday at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
