Football Fiasco: OM Fans and the Darkness of Violence
Well, hold onto your seats, folks! Sunday evening at La Mosson was supposed to be about football—a lovely game of 22 grown men chasing a ball, right? Wrong! It turned into an episode of the latest action thriller titled “The Football Fiasco: The Rise of the OM Ultras.” The stage was set for drama, but did we expect it to end in mayhem? Apparently, the Marseille supporters didn’t get the memo about ‘taking it easy.’
Despite being physically absent from the park due to certain arrangements made by the local constabulary, OM supporters were practically bursting from their seams. Initially, they sounded like a measly 450, but rumor has it that a whole 800 decided to stalk their way from Marseille, encouraged by the hope of seeing their team deliver a satisfying 5-0 thrashing to Montpellier. But instead of a jubilant parade, they met the police, who offered them a rather brusque halt at a motorway rest area. I mean, do the police not realize that these fans just wanted a bit of football fun?
What did the fans do you ask? Did they throw a collective tantrum or gracefully head back home? No, they decided it was more appropriate to turn back out of solidarity! Imagine, in the age of social media, a bunch of ardent supporters saying, “If we can’t have fun, then neither can you!” It’s like taking your toys home because your friend called you a ‘loser’ on the playground.
Now let’s talk celebrations. A healthy football match encourages joy, doesn’t it? However, every time Marseille scored, it triggered what I can only describe as a mini-societal meltdown! With each of the five goals—cue loud cheering and extreme crowd movements—fans were getting all too eager to change stands to kiss their fellow supporters. Just picture it: chaos! Like a herd of cats, except these cats have banners and a thirst for a friendly (ahem) competition.
“This evening again, unjustifiable violence has tarnished the image of football.”
— Bruno Retailleau, Minister of the Interior
Ah, Bruno Retailleau, the Minister of the Interior has spoken! Must have been a calm evening for him—no, wait! He saw families fleeing down the aisles, trying to find the safest spots in the highest rows of the Mosson, which, by the way, were closed to the public all season long. I’d recommend adding “Escape from a Football Match” to the syllabus of the local schools, just in case this becomes a trend!
As stewards scurried about, attempting to restore calm in what can only be described as an absolute circus, chaos reigned supreme. They might as well have been trying to herd cats in a fireworks factory, for all the good they did! And of course, the interior minister was right there to throw some fuel on the fire, lamenting that this nonsense “tarnished the image of football.” One could argue that football has been on a tarnishing spree since… well, forever! But that’s a discussion for another day.
The Aftermath: A Cautionary Tale
So, what do we take away from this open-air opera of sorts? Let’s start with the basics: enjoying football should be a great experience, and while passion is crucial, maybe we can leave the riotous behavior for the movies. Imagine if football could somehow magically transform back into a game where people just watch and enjoy—what a world that would be!
To all future football enthusiasts out there: remember to take a leaf out of your favorite comedic book or, for the love of goals, perhaps just learn the art of compromise. Let’s wave goodbye to the dramatic chaos and instead, embrace a future where cheering for your team doesn’t involve sending people sprinting for the exits like it’s Black Friday at a discount store.
In Conclusion
As we close the curtains on this rather sensational spectacle, let’s hope the next story is less about clashes and more about classy celebrations. And remember, whether you are an OM supporter or a Montpellier fan, let’s keep the passion alive—minus the police interventions, please!
Despite their absence in the park, OM supporters particularly stood out on Sunday evening at La Mosson, during their team’s big victory against Montpellier (5-0). If 450 of them were announced in Hérault, there would in fact have been more than 800 to take the road from Marseille. Forced to stop by the police at a motorway rest area, they decided to all turn back out of solidarity, after clashes with the police that occurred as they approached a toll barrier.
The evening was, however, marked by strong tension, exacerbated by the more or less muffled celebrations of Marseille supporters scattered across the four corners of the aisles. Incidents broke out at each of Marseille’s five goals, and crowd movements were particularly visible just before the break and at the end of the match, when supporters tried to change stands to reach fans related to OM.
“This evening again, unjustifiable violence has tarnished the image of football”
Bruno Retailleau, Minister of the Interior
Several scenes of panic then occurred, with families climbing the steps to try to find shelter in the highest rows of the Mosson, closed to the public all season. The stewards intervened to try to calm things down, without much success. These events provoked a reaction from the Minister of the Interior. “This evening again, unjustifiable violence has tarnished the image of football,” lamented Bruno Retailleau on X.
