Violent death of a fan shocks France
When the fans of OGC Nice arrive in Nantes, they are brutally attacked. A 31-year-old man dies in the clash, apparently after a knife attack. The perpetrator surrenders to the police. Nantes coach Jocelyn Gourvennec is stunned.
The violent death of a fan causes consternation in French soccer. Before the first division match between FC Nantes and OGC Nice, there were clashes in which a supporter of the host team died, according to the public prosecutor's office. At shortly before 8 p.m., vehicles carrying Nice fans were attacked by supporters of FC Nantes, said public prosecutor Renaud Gaudeul according to AFP. A 31-year-old man died as a result: "Despite the rapid intervention of the emergency services, the man could not be saved."
Early on Sunday morning, a driver from the VTC transport service was taken into custody. He handed himself in to the police at 4.30 a.m., the public prosecutor's office in Nantes announced. They have now initiated proceedings for intentional homicide and witness interviews were held during the night.
According to initial forensic investigations, the FC Nantes fan "suffered an injury to his back", which may have been inflicted by a bladed weapon. The autopsy should provide more precise information. "I can't understand it," said Nantes coach Jocelyn Gourvennec: "You go to a soccer match, sometimes with your family, and it's a matter of life and death. It's unimaginable."
The incident in Nantes follows a series of violent clashes in French soccer. Last Sunday, two Stade Brest supporters were slightly injured when the fan bus was attacked in Montpellier. The police also had to use tear gas against a hundred violent supporters around the match. At the end of October, the Olympique Lyon team bus was attacked before the away game in Marseille, injuring Lyon coach Fabio Grosso and his assistant Raffaele Longo, among others.
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The soccer match between FC Nantes and OGC Nice was disrupted by riots, resulting in the tragic death of a fan. The incident in Nantes added to the growing concerns about violent clashes in French soccer, as it followed similar incidents in Montpellier and Marseille.
Source: www.ntv.de
