SOCCER. Why are DFCO supporters banned from downtown Auxerre?
Auxerre receives the DFCO this Tuesday, April 19 for the Ligue 2 football championship. A derby which promises to be complicated for the Dijonnais on the ground, but also in the stands since only a limited number of supporters are authorized to make the trip.
Dijon travels to Auxerre as part of the Burgundy Ligue 2 derby this Tuesday, April 19. Faced with the challenge of the match and the risk of tension between the supporters of the two clubs, the prefect of Yonne took unprecedented measures.
He made it known via a decree issued this Saturday, April 15 that he is « prohibits anyone claiming to be a supporter of the DFCO club or behaving as such, from accessing the Abbé Deschamps stadium and in the downtown area of Auxerre ».
Located in the soft underbelly of the classification five days from the end of the championship, the Dijonnais are experiencing a first season of Ligue 2 in sawtooth. Beating the region’s rival club twice, however, could lessen the disappointment of the supporters. On the other hand, everything is going well for Auxerre, third in the standings. A victory tonight would confirm his status as a contender for the rise in Ligue 1.
Moreover, a derby is a special match for any football fan. For Philippe Duchâtel, member of the group of supporters the recklessit is much more than a simple meeting. « There is a pride in winning. We want to know who is the best, who is the capital of football in Burgundy. »
In France, the matches between the clubs which know a historical rivalry oblige the authorities to take restrictions. It happens that supporters of the visiting team are banned from traveling to the dismay of the fans.
If the prefecture of Yonne prohibits Dijon supporters from going to the city center of Auxerre, it is still making an effort to allow them to be present in the stands of Abbé Deschamps.
« Access to the stadium is authorized for DFCO supporters within the limit of 300 supporters arriving as part of a trip exclusively organized by the club ».
A decision that will not change anything according to Philippe « it is not necessary, they tolerate 300 but 500 people may be at the stadium, they will be in the other stands. It’s risky, there should have been a complete parking lot », he confides.
It’s only Auxerre – Dijon, not a meeting between PSG and OM.
The decree put in place by the prefecture echoes in particular the incidents around the first leg. The Côte-d’Oriens had managed to create a surprise, winning 3-1 at the end of a controlled meeting. A derby marked by numerous overflows in the city center of Dijon. A general fight broke out when 80 Auxerre supporters came to meet Dijon supporters in a bar before the match. « Lamentable behavior on the part of the Auxerrois », « It’s a shame it’s only football », says a DFCO supporter who remembers the facts.
The latter still trusts the police and his fellow supporters to ensure the smooth running of the meeting. « We must not exaggerate it is only an Auxerre – Dijon, not a meeting between PSG and OM »adds a supporter.
The DFCO is having a complicated season for its return to Ligue 2. For the 11th in the championship, the task looks complicated this evening against an Auxerre formation which is playing the climb.
