Sentences of up to one year in prison were pronounced Monday, March 22 against four leaders of groups of supporters of Olympique de Marseille for their responsibility in the incidents at the end of January at the club's training center.
"In this case the evidence was reported of an organization for degradation and violence", assured the president of the correctional court of Marseille, Nathalie Marty, who pronounced the harshest sentence against the treasurer of Marseille too powerful (MTP).
The young man, already convicted in the past for similar facts, had been arrested in the Commanderie, the OM training center, with smoke bombs.
He has not been imprisoned but will have to wear an electronic bracelet at home.
"Black beast"
Rachid Zeroual and Christophe Bourguignon, respectively leader of the South Winners and president of the Ultras, two other supporters' clubs, were sentenced to nine months in prison, five of which were suspended, in accordance with the prosecution's requisitions.
"I am the bête noire, they try to make us give up, but I have nothing to reproach myself, I did not enter the Commandery", got angry at the end of the hearing Rachid Zeroual , helped on crutches due to illness.
The last sentence, ten months suspended, was pronounced against the secretary in charge of communication of the Winners, filmed making vehement gestures by the cameras installed near the club's training center.
The public prosecutor, André Ribes, had requested the same sentence for the "capo" of the MTP, but the latter, who admitted before the criminal court to have "played the idiot", was finally released, just like the sixth support on the bench of the defendants.
A "Covid effect"
On January 30, some 300 supporters, heated by a succession of disappointing sporting results, gathered in front of the gates of the Commanderie, in particular to request the departure of the president of the club, Jacques-Henri Eyraud, since ousted.
Firecrackers, fireworks and smoke had been launched into the enclosure and some of the supporters had entered the center, up to the locker rooms.
Windows had been broken and cars had been damaged, recalled the president.
"Acts of violence to get across his ideas is not possible," said the prosecutor: "If the door is closed, you stay outside," he insisted in his indictment.
During the debates, Rachid Zeroual defended himself from wanting to make his group of supporters "a gang".
Already convicted 11 years ago for "aggravated violence in a meeting", Rachid Zeroual denied having aroused the anger of the supporters, assuring on the contrary that he "insisted" during a meeting "for it to happen peacefully".
The fifty-year-old spoke of a "Covid effect" and the ban on supporters in stadiums for health reasons as an explanation for the violence and blasted "the closing of the gates" of the training center: "Everything has been organized so that it overflows", he denounced, assuring that club officials were aware of the coming of the supporters, which OM lawyer Olivier Grimaldi confirmed.
"We have the supporters that we have"
Christophe Bourguignon, the president of the Ultras, who admitted to being present in front of the Commanderie but denied having entered inside, had tried to minimize his role.
President ?
"It's fair on paper," said the 49-year-old, who had an "Ultra" tattoo on his neck.
"The Commandery does not belong to them", had castigated Me Grimaldi: "OM cannot live without its supporters, but OM does not have the capacity to choose its supporters. We are in Marseille, we have the supporters that we have, ”he regretted.
On February 24, 11 first supporters arrested at the time of the facts had been sentenced to six months suspended prison sentence, and a twelfth, already known to the courts for thefts, to three months firm.
Two acquits were also pronounced.
With AFP
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