“Scenes of urban guerrilla warfare”: violence during a Pérols-Béziers football match, the police intervene, complaints filed

La rencontre entre les deux équipes avait lieu au stade Marius-Vitou de Pérols, dimanche 14 janvier. – GOOGLE STREET VIEW

Les faits sont survenus peu de temps avant la fin de ce match de régional 3, dimanche 14 janvier, au stade Marius-Vitou de Pérols, près de Montpellier. Des joueurs et des supporters seraient impliqués. La Ligue Occitanie de football a été saisie.

Insults, blows, degradations: the football match between the Entente Sportive Pérols and the US Béziers was marred by serious incidents, Sunday January 14 at the Marius-Vitou stadium in Pérols, near Montpellier. The events occurred shortly before the end of this regional 3 meeting. The national police intervened when calm had returned. She ensured the safety of people returning to their vehicles. Two injured players left for the emergency room on their own. Complaints were filed on both sides.

"Kicks, punches, smashed tables"

According to the Pérolien club, Béziers supporters uttered insults, then "a large part of the Us Béziers players" allegedly left the field by climbing the fences “to go and fight”. It evokes "scenes of urban guerrilla", "kicks, punches", against Perolian supporters and players, & quot;tables and furniture for snacks for smashed children, quot;parents of players, some over 75 years old, beaten, molested.  It is also question of death threats, towards a Pérols player who, physically threatened, allegedly fled “across the fields”, pursued by three people. "He was severely beaten,'according to the Entente Sportive de Pérols, he was found an hour later.

For his part, the coach of US Béziers, Giuseppe Di Girolamo, explains "that'following an incident of game, 15 to 20 people present in the stands went down towards the fence and attacked the three supporters of our club present at the stadium. They pushed their elbows, broke a pair of glasses… Our players saw this and jumped the fence to defend these three supporters. Then it stopped. Once at the locker room, we saw around twenty police officers arrive, who had come to escort us. The coach firmly denies the damage and death threats denounced by the Pérols club. He indicates that he has filed a handrail at the Montpellier police station, and specifies that a player from Béziers would have filed a complaint with the Pézenas gendarmerie.  &amp ;nbsp;    

"The facts seem very serious"

According to the first elements communicated to him, the president of the Occitanie Football League, Arnaud Dalla Pria, describes "a context which seems exceptional& ;quot; during this end of the match. "An intervention by the police of this magnitude, we haven't had many in the past. It seems that the facts are serious. We are awaiting reports from officials. I value the contradictory. This will then go to the disciplinary committee."

Disciplinary Commission

Arnaud Dalla Pria recalls the procedure implemented following this type of event: "The file is put under investigation. A person is appointed to interview the protagonists and makes a summary for the disciplinary committee. This may take six to eight weeks. Possible sanctions: "This will depend on the facts that have been established. Sanctions can be individual or aimed at the club." 

Already, the Entente Sportive de Pérols indicates "that'it will under no circumstances go to the return match which must take place at Béziers, on the grounds of US Béziers. The physical and moral integrity of club members comes above all else."