Video: seven arrests during clashes between supporters before Metz-Saint-Etienne

Clashes took place near the stadium. MAXPPP – Hugo AZMANI

Clashes between supporters took place before the play-off match between the two clubs on Sunday June 2.

The police made seven arrests on Sunday after clashes between supporters which left "some lightly injured" before the return play-off match for entry into L1 between Metz and Saint-Étienne, we learned from the Moselle prefecture. "An intervention took place in the middle of the day in Metz and gave rise to arrests", the prefecture told AFP.

150 supporters from both camps gathered near the station

There were "seven arrests" and "a few minor injuries& ;quot;, we specified. The regional daily Le Républicain Lorrain mentions at least "five individuals […] brought back to the Metz police headquarters" after scuffles near the station, where "around 150 supporters from Saint-Etienne and Metz" met. The police, who quickly intervened, used tear gas to disperse the crowd, according to the newspaper.

Les supporters de l’@ASSEofficiel viennent d’arriver dans le parcage visiteur du stade Saint-Symphorien.

Un fumigène a été lancé en direction des supporters de Metz…#FCMASSE #Ligue2 #Ligue1 pic.twitter.com/qjnod5Z2qm

— Radio Scoop Infos (@RadioScoopInfos) June 2, 2024

The meeting, which started at 5 p.m., was sold out in front of 28,500 spectators, indicates the prefecture, which specifies that, & quot;in view of the particular sensitivity of this match, the security and safety system has been reinforced in coordination with the management of FC Metz who has this responsibility within the stadium enclosure" Saint-Symphorien. "The staff of the interdepartmental directorate of the National Police will be supported by reinforcements from mobile security force units specialized in maintaining the ;rsquo;public order in order to guarantee safety outside the stadium and in the surrounding area", further specifies the prefecture, which does not specify the number of police officers mobilized.

The match is also the subject of a prefectural decree specifying the administrative measures governing the travel of visiting supporters, according to the same source. This return meeting is crucial for both teams: the winner will get their ticket to L1 while the other will play in L2.

The Saint-Etienne supporters also threw smoke bombs at their counterparts as they entered the stadium.