The instructor responsible for shedding light on "the serious incidents that have occurred" at the end of the barrage lost against Auxerre must submit his report Thursday afternoon (4:30 p.m.) to the commission, responsible for settling this last disciplinary file of a season. 2021-2022 stormy from start to finish.

On May 29 at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium, the relegation of ASSE, beaten on penalties by AJA (1-1 ap, 5 pens to 4), was followed by scenes of chaos: invasion of the lawn by angry supporters of the Greens, then throwing smoke bombs and a general stampede.

According to the scale in force, the applicable sanctions can go as far as a total or partial closed session, a withdrawal of points or even a disqualification and even a demotion.

The past months have shown that the Disciplinary Committee, chaired by Sébastien Deneux, no longer hesitates to pronounce very heavy sanctions in the event of serious incidents, such as the withdrawal of points in the classification.

Such as this point entrenched in Nice on green carpet after an invasion of the field against Marseille followed by a general fight, a withdrawal which then cost a qualification in the Europa League for the Aiglons, forced to settle for 5th place synonymous with the Europa League Conference .

"One-upmanship"

The ground of the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium invaded after the elimination of Saint-Etienne by Auxerre in the L1 / L2 play-off on May 29, 2022 in Saint-Etienne JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK AFP / Archives

If AS Saint-Etienne suffered a similar fate, it would start its Ligue 2 season with a handicap to overcome, perhaps prohibitive for the objective of an immediate comeback from the Saint-Etienne club... but also for the interest lent to American businessman David Blitzer, candidate according to L'Equipe for the takeover of the Greens.

In addition, a possible sanction of one or more matches behind closed doors would also penalize the club's finances, which are already very fragile, by depriving it of ticketing.

There remains the question of the real effectiveness of these collective sanctions, while the ultras of Saint-Etienne, repeat offenders, have multiplied the overflows in recent months, each time triggering partial or total closed-door measures.

"We see it with Saint-Etienne, it's going absolutely nowhere. What's the next step? Prohibit Saint-Etienne from playing in the Ligue 2 championship? Close the stands for several seasons? We're really upping the ante" , lamented Tuesday Ronan Evain, director general of Football Supporters Europe (FSE).

The legal procedure after the excesses of Geoffroy-Guichard, it continues.

Intervention of the riot police to restore order after the clashes on the ground of the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium at the end of the L1 / L1 return barrage against Auxerre on May 29, 2022 in Saint-Etienne JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK AFP / Archives

Several complaints have been filed, in particular by the club.

The commercial management of ASSE estimated the amount of damage at 500,000 euros and the metropolis of Saint-Etienne, owner of the stadium, assessed the damage at more than 80,000 euros.

© 2022 AFP