Derby Saint-Étienne – Lyon: An Incident Revival of the Previous and Potential Sanctions
The brutal stop of the derby between Saint-Étienne and Lyon, following the projectile jet aimed at the assistant referee, revived a debate on safety and discipline in French football. The incident in Geoffroy-Guichard raised a series of similar incidents that marked previous seasons in League 1 and League 2, and raised the issue of sanctions against the clubs involved.
Several previous cases could serve as a reference for the Disciplinary Commission to review the St. Stephen’s SA file. The most recent case dates back to March 15, when the match between Montpellier and Saint-Étienne had been interrupted following the jet of smokers having injured a stadier. Montpellier’s punishment had been severe: a defeat on the green carpet and the closing of the gallery for three matches.
In Ligue 2, Bastia’s case, involved in projectiles targeting an referee in a match against Lorient, led to a total stadium ban for five games. Troyes was also given a suspended point, accompanied by two in camera games and a defeat on the green carpet following the launch of smokers by players.
The history of French football is unfortunately marked by previous incidents. The confrontation between Olympique Lyonnais and Olympique de Marseille in 2021, where Dimitri Payet had been hit by a bottle, had led to the withdrawal of a point for OL and a replayed game on neutral closed ground. Similarly, the Nice – Marseille match in August 2021, marked by a bottle jet, a strong Payet reaction and a field invasion, had resulted in a replayed game on neutral terrain, the withdrawal of a point for Nice and individual sanctions.
The Discipline Commission will consider several factors in determining the penalty against AS Saint-Étienne. The resumption of the game, the club’s cooperation with the authorities and the rapid identification of the troublemaker through video surveillance will be key elements. However, touching an arbitrator remains a red line for the instances, and the example of the sanction could be preferred, especially as the end of the season approaches, already under high tension for the Greens, who are fighting for the maintenance. The severity of the injury, the definitive cessation of the meeting and the media dimension of the case will also have a significant impact on the final decision.