The “non-registered” MP for Vienne co-wrote a report on fanism in 2020 with Marie-George Buffet. He suggests that the government take inspiration from it.
Published on 25/10/2024 08:43
Reading time: 3min
Sacha Houlié, “non-registered” MP for Vienne, co-author of a report on stadium bans and fanism in 2020, qualifies Friday October 25 on franceinfo “government bluster” the measures proposed to put an end to recurring incidents in football stadiums. The government received requests from French football on Thursday, after homophobic chants were sung last Saturday at the Parc des Princes by several Paris-Saint-Germain supporters during the PSG-Strasbourg match.
Sports Minister Gil Avérous notably announced the establishment of nominative ticketing for matches between three clubs (PSG, OL and OM). “It is a first false solution which was announced by the government and which unfortunately does not work very well to restore order in football stadiums”, believes the MP. The check of identity cards can only be carried out by police officers who, according to him, “will never be in sufficient numbers to do all these tasks, since they have many other public order missions to establish.”
The Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, proposes deploying plainclothes police officers in the stands. “It already exists”retorts Sacha Houlié. “These are units that have been trained and deployed in football stadiums. They are in contact with the supporter representatives who were created eight years ago now and are in contact with the clubs to ensure that the matches run smoothly”explains the MP. This device “already allows”, according to him, to challenge the authors of homophobic, racist or anti-Semitic songs. Two individuals behind the homophobic chants at the Parc des Princes on Saturday were arrested. “They will be presented to a judge and they will have sanctions,” assures Sacha Houlié.
Bruno Retailleau also proposes a suspension of football matches in the event of an incident, without commenting on the possibility of a definitive interruption, referring the decision to the sporting authorities. “In football, indeed, it is the referee who ultimately has the decision to definitively stop the match or not”underlines Sacha Houlié. He emphasizes that stopping a match has consequences for public order, but, according to him, “It allows us to identify the authors.”
The member for Vienne believes that “the total absence of offense in football stadiums is an illusion”. On the other hand, he affirms that the various measures put in place can be effective. “We have been shown for three years that, when this type of behavior was observed in football stadiums, we had, thanks to the cameras, thanks to the plainclothes police officers, thanks to the cooperation of the clubs, the ability to individually identify each offender of troubles” he explains.
According to him, the government announcements are “for people who don’t know much about what already happens in football stadiums”. Sacha Houlie “made available to the government” the report on fanism established with Marie-George Buffet in 2020, “if he ever wants to be inspired by it again”.
