Football and Politics, Oil and Water - more similar than you think (Ligue 1)

[riellemayer.livejournal.com]

Tensions were so high between SC Bastia – a club located on the island of Corsica – and Nice, that away fans weren’t allowed at Allianz Riviera when Bastia came to visit. In fact, even clothing bearing Bastia’s colors were banned as well.

Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea, formerly an Italian territory now belonging to France.

So when Bastia won 1-0 on Saturday, reserve goalkeeper Jean-Louis Leca decided to whip out a Corsican flag at the full-time whistle (pictured, above)and the home fans didn’t take kindly. Nice captain Didier Digard apparently tried to stop Leca, but to no avail.

About 100 fans rushed the pitch and violence ensued, with security barely able to keep fans at bay. Police had to escort the Bastia players into the locker rooms, which they thankfully did before any reported injuries occurred.

Twelve fans were arrested, and four were placed in a drunk tank overnight, according to French publication Le Monde. Police said an investigation was under way and would utilize security camera footage to figure out where fans came from and who was on the pitch.

President of the French league Federic Thiriez said it was “everything that we don’t want to see in football,” and that there would be “inevitable sanctions” for the clubs.

The incident came on the heels of fan violence on the pitch at a Euro 2015 qualifying match Serbia and Albania after a flag was displayed. In both these incidents, away fans were not allowed at the match due to fears of violence, but it didn’t halt incidents taking place.

This is also not the first time fans got violent at Allianz Riviera, with Nice and St. Etienne supporters clashing after away fans scaled a barrier between the supporter sections. It has raised questions about the safety of the stadium with France hosting Euro 2016.

pictures at the source.

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Unlike the Serbia - Albania match, this was started because of a player and not a fan. I can't even begin to comment on the long history between Corsica and France (I know of it, but I don't feel comfortable speaking on it), but well... This is a touchy subject, so I hope I don't come across as harsh or not being sympathetic. I don't agree with Leca's actions. I understand, as much as I can as an outsider, the want to make his stance known - and by all means he has every right! - but I don't agree with the stage he chose. Atlhough I'm sure that was the point. Situations like this never end well, and had the police not been able to contain the fans it could have been much worse.

Curious as to what kind of sanctions LFP will hand out for SC Bastia specifically. Not too long ago they were in the news when their forward Brandão got too excited and tried to kiss Thiago Motta's nose and broke it.

Comments

[marsyke.livejournal.com]

The EU struggles enough with 28 countries, if everyone became independent we would have about 100 small regions or something. Ah well.
I don't think a player can use a football match to make clear his political ideas. I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to do that at work (once I finished uni) so a footballer can't do it either.
An interview or social media, okay. A football pitch slightly less. Imagine what would happen if every player did that; Xabi running around with a Basque flag, the Catalans with Catalan flags, Di Maria playing with a 'save Las Malvinas' shirt.

It would become a total farce.

[riellemayer.livejournal.com]

Exactly. I can't even say it's unfortunate that players shouldn't be allowed to, either. He can show his support, or whatever else, but there's a time and place for it and it's not on the pitch. Even at full time.

[eva]

And it puts people at risk - he must have known the kinds of reactions this would provoke in the audience, just as whatever fool flew that drone with the flag into the stadium in the Serbia - Albania game must have known. If one knows that fans, preferably drunk ones, are going to be provoked into violence, one might refrain from provocation.

[untxi.livejournal.com]

I have a different view tbh. Football has always been about regional (or national) pride and politics are unavoidably a part of it; it's not uncommon for players to sport their own national or regional flags on the pitch & imo it would be against freedom of expression/speech to prevent them from doing so.

Now, I'm not saying I agree with Leca's gesture - which clearly intended to provoke - but I think the reaction from Nice fans is totally disproportional. Serbia/Albania tension is by no means comparable to Corsica/France, despite Corsica's well known separatist ideology.

[riellemayer.livejournal.com]

Mhm, you're right that my title really doesn't apply to all of football. I chose that specifically for this situation re: the history between these two and didn't really think about it being a generalisation. I was trying to use it in a way that was like, very pointedly about places with bad political blood? Not in the way that players shouldn't be allowed to wear their own national/regional flag. If that makes sense? Sorry! I'll clarify that in the main post as that's not at all what I meant by it.

[untxi.livejournal.com]

oh no, it wasn't a criticism on your title OR your opinion! i just read yours and marsyke's comments and decided to offer my opinion on the subject, which is maybe a bit different. no need to apologise at all! :)

[riellemayer.livejournal.com]

Ah, okay! But to pick your brain a bit, do you think in the cases where there's high tensions between two countries/regions that players should use more caution? I think that's my problem. I support players having the right to display national/regional flags, but knowing that their choice could result in riots/pitch invasions/people getting hurt is what makes it a little murky for me. Then I start to feel weird because I'm holding players responsible for the (over)reaction from the fans.

[marsyke.livejournal.com]

True and I'm not totally against it and I don't even mind. But it just seemed quite random that the reserve keeper whips out a flag after a league game.
In football nowadays a lot of clubs have players and coaches from different regions. At the Anderlecht press conference there were questions whether the coach who is Albanian would still get along with the main striker who is Serbian.
I know that football is also about regional and national pride but where it does it end if all players start to use the football field as a way to make political statements and what about coaches or even the doctors.

FML

[jazzypom.livejournal.com]

Corsica could never go it alone though. Take it from someone who's from a small country. Chill with being a principality of a bigger one.

[connorblond.livejournal.com]

It's just not the time and place to do it. Plus, they should consider what can happen ... if fans get involved things could get ugly very easily. Nobody needs a riot on a football pitch.

[peiro.livejournal.com]

Leca probably knew that the flag would annoy people, but saying that, I don't think he would have expected the scale of the annoyance to break into a brawl like it did. I dunno, though. If a player brought out a British flag at a game at Solitude, the home of Cliftonville, the fans would get mad, but I doubt they'd break onto the pitch and start a fight.