Europe 1 with AFP 08:09, June 01, 2022

ASSE filed a complaint for "aggravated violence, destruction and damage to public property, entry into the playing area affecting the safety of persons and property and throwing of projectiles presenting a danger to the safety of persons", indicates the club in a press release.

The AS Saint-Étienne club announced on Tuesday that it had filed a complaint for "aggravated violence, destruction and degradation" after the violence which punctuated, on Sunday evening, the end of the L1-L2 play-off match lost against Auxerre.

Sunday evening, the relegation of Saint-Étienne on penalties against Auxerre (1-1 ap, 5 tab to 4) was accompanied by stormy scenes at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium: invasion of the lawn by angry Greens supporters, then throws of smoke bombs and general jostling.

Forty injured

Some supporters used mortars and aimed smoke bombs at the players and stands.

The clashes continued outside the stadium until late in the evening, with a total of around forty minor injuries: 8 security guards, 14 police officers, 17 supporters and two Auxerre players.

The prosecution told AFP that the evening did not result in any arrests.

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In its press release, the Saint-Etienne club said "intend to collaborate in the most effective way possible with the police services so that the identification of the troublemakers and the implementation of subsequent legal proceedings are carried out without delay" .

While their sector of the stadium was the subject of a disciplinary closure, following incidents during the reception of Monaco on April 23, recidivist ultras from Saint-Etienne managed to take their place in another grandstand on Sunday.

"Eradicate violence from professional and amateur football"

ASSE, now relegated to L2, recalled that the Disciplinary Committee of the Professional Football League (LFP) had decided to put the file under investigation and that the representatives of Saint-Etienne would be heard, following the filing of the report. investigation, during a hearing scheduled for June 23.

Disciplinary sanctions can go as far as a total or partial closed session, a withdrawal of points or even a disqualification and even a demotion.

In this context, the mayor of St-Étienne Gaël Perdriau announced on Tuesday his intention to work on a "white paper" of "concrete proposals intended to eradicate violence from professional and amateur football", an initiative to which he intends to associate "the football bodies, the National Supporters' Association, local authorities and the government".

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The elected official thus sent a letter on Monday calling for a mobilization in this direction to Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, to the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castera, to the president of the LFP Vincent Labrune, to that of the FFF Noël Le Graët, as well as the President of the Association of Mayors of France (AMF) David Lisnard and the President of France Urbaine, Johanna Rolland, Mayor of Nantes.

"Our stadiums are gradually becoming the place of expression of a deep social and societal malaise which is fragmenting France. We cannot remain like this without reacting", warns Mr. Perdriau in a press release.