Payet calls on government, League and clubs for “collective responsibility” – Liberation

«That’s enough !“Dimitri Payet has it”GET“, and he made it known in a column published this Wednesday evening by the newspaper The world. Twice since the start of this Ligue 1 season, the Olympique de Marseille footballer has been hit by bottles thrown by opposing supporters in the middle of a match. Each time, in Nice on August 22 and in Lyon on November 21, the meeting was interrupted after several hours of confusion, and the controversy over violence in the stadiums swelled. Especially since other incidents have punctuated the resumption of the championship, such as when supporters invaded the lawn of RC Lens during the derby against Lille on October 18.

In his forum, Dimitri Payet denounces “a form of collective resignation” of the actors involved in the file – “the government, the League [de football professionnel], the clubs». «I would like reasonable collective responsibility“, he writes. The issue of violence in stadiums is to be addressed at an interministerial meeting on Thursday. On November 23, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin had promised proposals “in fifteen days”, on four subjects, including that of sanctions and responsibilities for stopping matches in the event of excesses.

Former member of the French team, with which he played nearly forty matches, Dimitri Payet called on the national football authorities to protect the players more, recalling that they are the ones who «morflent». “I would like to be able to defend my idea of ​​football on all the lawns of France without asking myself any questions, without fear of meeting the gaze or the gesture of hatred, insisted the 34-year-old Reunionese. […] We can’t go on like this. I hear disgusting things, such as proposals to replace the player who would be the victim of aggression to resume the match at all costs. But this is pure madness! It’s the door open to everything.”

The OM striker, who received psychological support after the events in Lyon, had never spoken at length on the subject until then. “We heard everything before, during and after. I want to stay dignified, unlike those who alluded to the fact that after all, I shouldn’t be ”that hurt”. Or, and these are sometimes the same, those who wanted me to take my place on the field after taking a bottle in the face“, he explained, while assuring not to act”on demandof his club but on his own initiative.