Lens / Lille: with the health crisis, the supporters have gone mad

Virginie Phulpin 7:33 am, September 20, 2021

This is the sports editorial of Virginie Phulpin. The Professional Football League will convene its disciplinary committee today after the serious incidents that occurred during the Lens Lille match on Saturday. We can expect strong penalties. For you, we have sinned too much out of naivety and laxity towards troublemakers.

I vaguely feel like I have already touched on the subject of violence around football matches, right? It must be said that it is becoming a ritual of Ligue 1 this season. After Montpellier Marseille and Nice OM, here is Lens Lille. As if the Northerners don't want to leave the monopoly of stupidity to the guys from the South. Basically, you are going to attend a match, and you know that there is a risk that it will degenerate, we almost integrated it. We can no longer speak of an isolated act now. Not when there is this recurrence. When you think about it, how naïve we were to imagine that the return of the supporters to the stands after a season behind closed doors would bring life back to the stadiums. I speak as well of the League, as of the clubs, and of the commentators. Everyone wanted to let themselves be carried away.But it mainly brings back the bitch. I don't want to say that, but when you have 6 injuries, an interrupted game, an invaded lawn and the two sides who are passing the buck, we will avoid minimizing and looking elsewhere. Yes, our football has a problem. The stadiums are a pressure cooker after these long months of health crisis. As soon as there is a rally, the slightest hitch turns into a fight, it explodes on all sides. There are supporters who come to the stadium to exist, to give free rein to their most base inclinations, those they have had to put aside for months. And it gives these shameful scenes. We say that we no longer want to see this, that it has no place in a stadium, blah, but it happens more and more often.but when you have 6 injuries, a match interrupted, an invaded lawn and the two camps which pass the ball to each other, we will avoid minimizing and looking elsewhere. Yes, our football has a problem. The stadiums are a pressure cooker after these long months of health crisis. As soon as there is a rally, the slightest hitch turns into a fight, it explodes on all sides. There are supporters who come to the stadium to exist, to give free rein to their most base inclinations, those they have had to put aside for months. And it gives these shameful scenes. We say that we no longer want to see that, that it has no place in a stadium, blah, but it happens more and more often.but when you have 6 injuries, a match interrupted, an invaded lawn and the two camps which pass the ball to each other, we will avoid minimizing and looking elsewhere. Yes, our football has a problem. The stadiums are a pressure cooker after these long months of health crisis. As soon as there is a rally, the slightest hitch turns into a fight, it explodes on all sides. There are supporters who come to the stadium to exist, to give free rein to their most base inclinations, those they have had to put aside for months. And it gives these shameful scenes. We say that we no longer want to see that, that it has no place in a stadium, blah, but it happens more and more often.we will avoid minimizing and looking elsewhere. Yes, our football has a problem. The stadiums are a pressure cooker after these long months of health crisis. As soon as there is a rally, the slightest hitch turns into a fight, it explodes on all sides. There are supporters who come to the stadium to exist, to give free rein to their most vile inclinations, those they have had to put aside for months. And it gives these shameful scenes. We say that we no longer want to see that, that it has no place in a stadium, blah, but it happens more and more often.we will avoid minimizing and looking elsewhere. Yes, our football has a problem. The stadiums are a pressure cooker after these long months of health crisis. As soon as there is a rally, the slightest hitch turns into a fight, it explodes on all sides. There are supporters who come to the stadium to exist, to give free rein to their most vile inclinations, those they have had to put aside for months. And it gives these shameful scenes. We say that we no longer want to see that, that it has no place in a stadium, blah, but it happens more and more often.it's exploding on all sides. There are supporters who come to the stadium to exist, to give free rein to their most base inclinations, those they have had to put aside for months. And it gives these shameful scenes. We say that we no longer want to see that, that it has no place in a stadium, blah, but it happens more and more often.it's exploding on all sides. There are supporters who come to the stadium to exist, to give free rein to their most vile inclinations, those they have had to put aside for months. And it gives these shameful scenes. We say that we no longer want to see that, that it has no place in a stadium, blah, but it happens more and more often.

What can the Football League do?

I almost wonder what it is going to be useful to bring together the disciplinary committee. I have heard comments that if the League had been tougher after the Nice OM incidents, nothing would have happened in Lens on Saturday. But what is ? The Nice OM match will be replayed, and the League has withdrawn points in Nice. It's not exactly nothing. So the supporters who were sadly illustrated this weekend knew very well that they were exposing their club to sanctions. They knew it, but they did anything anyway. It wants them to care less about penalties, as they do not care about their club, and football in general. In fact it's simple, if you don't care, stay home. I repeat, but we have the means, and the cameras, to know who is guilty of what. And these culprits,we must ban them from the stadium. One season, two seasons, or for life. Depending on the seriousness of the facts. But there is no point in closing an entire grandstand for two matches. We should not put everyone in the same basket for a general sanction without flavor. We need targeted punishment, but exemplary punishment. And some deserve only one thing: not to be able to set foot in a gallery. Honestly today I do not see any other solution.no longer being able to set foot in a gallery. Honestly today I don't see any other solution.no longer being able to set foot in a gallery. Honestly today I do not see any other solution.