Lille fans are barred from attending their team’s Coupe de France round of 16 match against Lens on Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. This prohibition, stemming from a Ministry of the Interior order published Friday in the Official Journal, cites a “substantial and genuine risk of clashes.”
The ministry declared that “antagonism has characterized the relationship between RC Lens and LOSC supporters for many years.” Consequently, the order forbids “any individual or group movement, by any means, of anyone identifying as a Lille Olympique Sporting Club supporter or acting as such” between municipalities in the Nord department and the municipality of Lens (Pas-de-Calais).
A Pas-de-Calais prefect’s decree, issued December 23, had already banned Losc fans from entering the Bollaert-Delelis stadium in Lens and its vicinity, along with several city center streets in Lens and the nearby town of Liévin, from Tuesday at 6:00 a.m. to Wednesday at 6:00 a.m.
September’s Injuries: A Count of Seven
Following disturbances in the stands during the Ligue 1 Lens-Lille derby on September 18, both clubs faced penalties from the League (LFP), including a ban on Lille’s use of the away team’s parking lot until December 31.
During that game, numerous Lens supporters stormed the pitch, engaging in conflict with Lille supporters; projectiles were launched from the stands. The skirmishes, contained by riot police intervention, resulted in seven injuries, according to the Interior Ministry.
The ministry emphasized that security forces are actively addressing the terrorist threat and managing migration issues along the Calais and Hauts-de-France coasts. It stated that these critical missions prevent the diversion of resources to manage supporter-related violence during sporting events.
