This is a step forward that associations fighting against homophobia in football have been calling for for several years. The Stade des Alpes in Grenoble was, on Saturday December 20, the location of an experiment during the 32nd final of the Coupe de France lost (1-1, 3-5 in the tabs) by the Isère team against Nancy. For the very first time, three observers were in the stands to report discriminatory comments or behavior, and possibly demand the interruption of the match by the referees.
A representative of the French Football Federation (FFF), the organizing body of the competition, a member of the commission of national delegates and a representative of the SOS Homophobia association thus crisscrossed the spans of the Grenoble enclosure during the entire meeting, with the aim of reporting and obtaining sanctions for these actions generally unpunished in the stadiums.
“Our relentless and uncompromising fight is paying off”welcomes today Julien Pontes, spokesperson for Rouge Direct, one of the collectives which has long campaigned for the implementation of this system. The principle of a present and mobile observation commission in the stands was validated, on August 31, 2023, by Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, former Minister of Sports, during a meeting with representatives of several associations.
This commitment was then the subject of a recommendation in the report published on December 19, 2023, following the work of the National Assembly’s commission of inquiry into dysfunctions in sports federations. This text envisaged a rapid implementation, before an assessment at the end of the 2023-2024 season within the National Supporterism Authority for “determine the ways and means of its generalization”.
Sanctions against the Grenoble club?
However, these positions had not until now been followed by action. At the start of 2024, the FFF still announced the creation of an Engagement Department, headed by Amel Bouzoura, whose role was praised by the organizations in setting up the system during the Coupe de France match between Grenoble and Nancy. Homophobic remarks made by Isère supporters were also heard during added time of the first period. Timing which prevented the match from being interrupted, with half-time occurring a few moments later.
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