The Ligue 1 game between Montpellier HSC and AS St. Etienne was abandoned on Sunday. A fire had broken out in the stands.
In the basement duel between bottom-of-the-table Montpellier and second-to-bottom St. Etienne, the guests had taken a 2-0 lead through a brace from Lucas Stassin when the frustration of the fans of the bottom-of-the-table team was vented in destructive rage. The supporters of the HSC threw pyrotechnics and seat shells onto the field, and a trash can is also said to have flown in the direction of the field.
When black smoke started to rise from the home fans’ section, referee Francois Letexier initially sent both teams into the dressing rooms. Apparently, a fire had been started in the lower part of the stand. According to French media reports, a person lying on the ground had to be evacuated from the block.
After an emergency meeting of the delegates and the intervention of the security forces, the game was finally abandoned. “By order of the public authority and for the safety of the players and spectators, it was decided not to resume the game,” said Letexier.
Incidents had already occurred in the run-up to the game. The night before the game, fireworks had been fired at the team hotel in St. Etienne. The French news agency AFP reported, citing police sources, that around ten mortar shells were fired at the hotel at around 3 a.m. No damage was done. Outside the stadium, too, there were incidents in the context of the game.
About a year and a half ago, a Ligue 1 game in Montpellier was abandoned due to fan misconduct. In October 2023, a Montpellier fan had thrown a firework onto the field, which exploded right next to Clermont goalkeeper Mory Diaw. Montpellier was subsequently docked a point, and the game, which was abandoned in stoppage time, had to be replayed.
