French National Supporters’ Association announces ‘end of dialogue’ with authorities | OneFootball

The tone and tension has been increasing in French football over the proposals from French interior minister Bruno Retailleau to disband three major supporter associations at Nantes and Saint-Étienne. On Saturday, the French National Supporters’ Association – and organisation which is made up of most major supporter organisations in France – announced that it had ended talks with the authorities regarding the preparation of matches. At a press conference organised in Paris on Saturday, the group that represents most of France’s ultra movement has also threatened to put pressure on the authorities and “put itself in a position to dissolve all groups, returning to a total absence of dialogue with supporters and a return to the situation of 15 years ago.”

The announcement of the French National Supporters’ Association has come in the context of the French government’s plans to disband three major supporter groups in France: Brigade Loire (FC Nantes), Magic Fans (Saint-Étienne), and Green Angels (Saint-Étienne).

What does this mean for the management of supporters in France?

In practice, it means that France’s police authorities, including the the National Division for Combating Hooliganism as well as Supporter Liaison Officers will no longer be able to communicate with groups during the organisation of matches. “without supporters providing information to the SLO, the authorities cannot organise away trips and matches in a peaceful environment.”This comes in the context of the French Sports Ministry refusing a meeting with national representatives of supporter groups last week over the disbandment plans. Last week, an unprecedented communiqué by the National Association of Supporters had been signed by 143 supporter groups in France. It stakes that the measures taken by the French government “Not only put in danger our organisations that are engaged in constant dialogue with the authorities, but also puts into peril the nature of football supporters in France.“GFFN | George Boxall