PSG Ultras Challenge Marseille Away Ban Ahead of Le Classique
Paris Saint-Germain’s ultras have launched an emergency legal challenge to the ban preventing their supporters from travelling to Marseille for Sunday’s Ligue 1 meeting, with the Collectif Ultras Paris seeking to overturn the ministerial order before Le Classique.
The group has instructed its lawyer to take the case to France’s Council of State, the country’s highest administrative court. Its action concerns the prohibition on PSG fans attending the match at Marseille, where authorities have again ruled that the prospect of disorder between the rival groups is too great.
In a statement, the Collectif Ultras Paris said it had requested an urgent procedure against the forthcoming ministerial decision. The organisation also criticised the lack of engagement from officials, arguing that six prefects have come and gone since 2015 without meaningful discussions with the group.
The supporters said repeated restrictions over 11 years should not be treated as a substitute for dialogue.
Long-running security concerns
Away followings are regularly excluded from France’s highest-risk fixtures, and the history between PSG and Marseille means the challenge faces a difficult route. The Interior Ministry cited the entrenched hostility between the two sets of supporters in support of the latest restriction.
Officials also referred to violence around the February 2018 game in Paris, the last occasion on which fans from both clubs attended the fixture. Eight police officers were injured in incidents connected to that match.
The contest is known as Le Classique and developed into French football’s defining rivalry during the 1990s, when both clubs assembled squads featuring leading names.
Pressure on both clubs
The absence of PSG’s travelling support would add another off-field element to a match that already carries major importance on the pitch. Neither side has made a convincing opening to the Ligue 1 campaign.
PSG are seventh after taking only one victory from their opening four league fixtures, while Marseille begin the weekend in 13th place. Sunday’s meeting therefore offers both clubs an early opportunity to alter their league position, even as the dispute over the away-fan ban continues.
