“In light of the urgency and seriousness of the situation, the main supporter groups wish, with one voice, to set the record straight about the incidents that occurred after the Monaco-Nice match on January 30,” begins the statement.
Wishing to directly address the various information circulating, Nice supporters provide their insights. They accuse the “lack of discernment by the police” and the absence of any “intentional invasion” of the pitch:
“Indeed, the political and media frenzy calls for some comments. The near-total absence of investigation and the traditional quest for sensationalism has driven many print and television media to shamefully distort reality once again.”
Total Lack of Discernment by the Police
In their official statement, the supporters wish to detail exactly how events unfolded: “At the end of the match, Nice supporters (located in sections H and G), as is customary during away games, waited more than 10 minutes before being able to leave the stadium. This wait happened in total calm.
At 9:03 PM, access to section H was opened while access to section G remained closed by the police…
Many people from section G, wishing to catch the train announced for 9:13 PM, then expressed their desire to leave.
A scuffle occurred in front of one of the exits, and the riot police, who were not at all threatened, hastily used a large amount of tear gas, disregarding the risks involved (crushes, fainting, etc.) for 1,500 people “trapped” in a stand.
We unreservedly denounce this mode of operation, which consists of easily using tear gas with such haste.
This is a serious malfunction and a very poor assessment of the situation.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time, and we remind that the riot police are accustomed to this contrary to the mobile gendarmes.
The problem of training for police officers responsible for security in and around stadiums arises once again.
It is high time the authorities finally addressed this.
The only solution to escape the gas was to go onto the pitch. We thank here the Monegasque officials who reacted quickly and opened the access doors to the pitch, given the gravity of the situation. We also thank the Nice stewards who took charge and assisted the people who fainted.”
There Was No Pitch Invasion
The Nice supporters clarify that “this is in no way an invasion as we have read or heard repeatedly. There was obviously no premeditation either.
Taking advantage of the confusion, some engaged in reprehensible acts. We firmly and unreservedly condemn them.
We do remind, however, that the vast majority of those present merely ran onto the pitch and only a minority engaged in perfectly unnecessary and stupid acts of vandalism.” The statement ends with this reminder of the facts.
“Just and Appropriate Sanctions”
OGC Nice supporters “also wish for just and appropriate sanctions, so they are ‘suited to the actual facts’:
“If sanctions must be imposed, we strongly demand that they truly reflect the reality of the facts. Unfortunately, experience has shown that in such matters, disproportion is often the norm to satisfy public outrage exacerbated by the distorted representation of reality. The call by some for exemplary punishments when justice is supposed to be independent comes off as populist and clearly driven by upcoming electoral deadlines.”
The Nice supporters wish that “only the ‘guilty’ [are] sanctioned and to the correct extent of their wrongdoing. Furthermore, we cannot consider for a single moment that individual behaviors lead to sanctions directed at non-responsible supporter groups. Collective responsibility cannot be invoked.”
They finally highlight the consequences: “Indeed, with the threat of dissolution being waved by the authorities, it’s important to stress the consequences:
– no more interlocutors for the Club and authorities
– no more organized and supervised trips but only those called ‘independent’ with all the security risks that entails.
– increased feeling of injustice and marginalization of supporters
– clandestinity and radicalization of some.”
They also wish to warn “the sports authorities [who] must also show great discernment, as one wonders how the club bears responsibility for actions that in no way disrupted the match and when the organization of it was not theirs. Let’s emphasize the significant involvement of Nice stewards in trying to quell the confusion, while the police seemed quite absent.”
The supporters would thus not understand “if heavy sanctions were imposed on our Club. If this were unfortunately the case, then it is up to the management to involve all competent jurisdictions (civil and administrative courts) to avoid a sports justice with varying standards being imposed.”
They finally call for the cessation of generalizations. “Moreover, we demand that common sense prevail and that generalizations cease. Supporters, whether ultras or not, are not automatically thugs or vandals. It is useful to remind some that a so-called ‘popular’ stand can also comprise notaries, lawyers, doctors, municipal officials, business leaders, police officers…
No one is unaware, for example, that the 23,000 Nice supporters present at the League Cup final on April 22, 2006, behaved exemplarily despite the defeat.
We also remind that serious incidents happen every Sunday in District FFF competitions which are neither publicized nor treated as they should be.”
Finally, the various reactions of the OGC Nice leaders are reviewed by the azureans supporters.
Reactions of the Leaders and Gilbert Stellardo
“Regarding the leaders of OGC NICE, we noted that Messrs. Governatori and Roy did not yield to journalist pressure by refraining from any immediate reaction. We thank them for this.
However, Mr. Stellardo, in his capacity as President, did not have the ability to take the necessary step back and gather information appropriately in such circumstances before speaking.
Even if his statements, obtained under pressure, remain scandalous and unacceptable as they are shocking and humiliating for Nice supporters, they unfortunately seem to reflect what we have long suspected about his perception of Nice supporters as a whole.
Consequently, we await public apologies.”
Finally, the supporter group (BSN, ARN, CDS, and Nissa supporters 06) concludes: “We will never be a ‘British-style’ audience. We are proud of who we are, our culture, and our history. We do not renounce our origins and identity and never will.”
